County election process secure

• Early voting for the May 28th runoff runs May 2024 ,7 a.m. to 7 p.m., at the DeWitt County Elections office, 115 N. Gonzales Ave.

DeWitt County election duties for the May 28 Republican run-off for District 30 representative are in good hands, according to County Judge Daryl Fowler.

Following the termination of the county election administrator, Melissa Alcazar, on May 6, the conduct of elections will temporarily default to County Clerk Natalie Carson, Fowler said.

“Natalie Carson has worked for the county for 39 years,” Fowler said. Before there was a position of election administrator, Carson was responsible for election duties. “She was right there in the middle of it when I was precinct chair for the GOP and later the chairman,” Fowler said, “and she carried out elections seamlessly and with integrity.”

Under this default method of elections recommended by the Texas Secretary of State, in addition to the county clerk administering elections, voter registration duties will fall to county tax assessor- collector.

The county is seeking a new elections administrator, but, until one is hired, the default method of elections is in place.

The judge said Carson is going through the election administrator records and resolving issues that have been neglected and updating databases.

“Natalie has set up a day of training for her and the staff with the Secretary of State’s office,” Fowler said. “And there will be training on the voting machines.

“The voting equipment contractor, Hart Company, is coming on election day to make sure things go okay,” he said.

“The integrity of elections can be challenged in court,” Fowler said. “And we don’t want to be on the receiving end of that.”

At the commissioner’s court on Monday, $10,000 was added to the election administration budget to fund training and other unforeseen expenses during the transition.

Early voting for the May 28th runoff starts Monday, May 20 and ends Friday, May 24, 7 AM to 7 PM, at the De-Witt County Elections office, 115 N. Gonzales Ave.