Freedom to vote

Freedom to vote Subhead Early voting in GOP, Democratic primaries begins this week News Staff Wed, 02/21/2024 - 05:46 Image

• The Bosque County Elections Administrations Office is one of two locations where eligible voters can cast ballots in the partisan political primaries this week. Nathan Diebenow | Meridian Tribune

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Your freedoms are on the ballot this election season.

This week, the partisan political primaries begin across Texas.

In Bosque County, a few county-wide races and one federal office are being contested in the Republican Party primary. One race for Texas’ 31st Congressional District is contested in the Democratic Party primary.

Early voting by personal appearance will be at two locations, the Clifton Civic Center and the Bosque County Elections Administration Office.

The civic center is located at 403 West Third Street in Clifton; the Bosque County Elections Administration Office, at 104 West Morgan Street in Meridian.

Hours to vote early are 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. from Tuesday, February 20, to Friday, February 23; 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. on Saturday, February 24; 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Sunday, February 25; and 7 a.m. – 7 p.m., Monday – Friday, February 26 – March 1.

During the early voting period in Bosque County, voters can only use the ExpressVotes machines, due to the primary election having over 20 different ballot styles that will need to be issued to the voters.

ExpressVote is a style of ballot that is generated and printed at checkin and then inserted into the corresponding ExpressVote machine found in the voting booth. Once inserted, the ballot options will be selected digitally. Once the candidate/proposition choices are made and the ballot completed, it will be ejected from the machine having been updated with the voter’s selections. From there, the updated ExpressVote ballot will be inserted into our DS200 Tabulation Device for counting.

The ExpressVote machines were purchased through the county’s vendor ES&S and certified by Texas Secretary of State. The machines as well as the county’s electronic tabulator (DS200) are never connected to the Internet.

On the last day of the primary election, the polling locations will return to the traditional paper ballot styles.

Eligible voters will be able to cast paper ballots only on Election Day on Tuesday, March 5, 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.

On Election Day, eligible voters must vote in the precinct where registered to vote. In Clifton the precincts are 8 and 9, both located at the Clifton Civic Center.

In Meridian, the precincts are 3 and 4, both located at the Meridian Civic Center.

Applications for ballot by mail can be mailed to Ashley Rupp, the Bosque County elections administrator, at P.O. Box 411, Meridian, Texas.

Applications for ballots by mail must be received no later than the close of business on Friday, February 23, 2024.

The last day to receive a ballot by mail is Tuesday, March 5 (Election Day), at 7 p.m.; if the carrier envelope is not postmarked, or Wednesday, March 6, (the next business day after Election Day) at 5 p.m.; if the carrier envelop is postmarked by 7 p.m. at the location of the election on Election Day.

For more information about the general election, contact the Bosque County elections administrator or visit the county elections website at www.bosquecounty. us/ elections