Voter heading to polls today
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I say Vote for Mike O'Day.
Published January 16, 2007
ANGLETON — The icy weather expected to roll through northern Brazoria County might do more than discourage voters from voting in the District 29 runoff. It also might delay votes from being counted.
Since the weather is expected to affect the northern part of the county, which includes most of District 29, Brazoria County Elections Director Janice Evans said the county might pick up the voting boxes instead of having judges bring their ballots to Angleton tonight.
“If it does get icy, we’ll go out and set up a way where we would go and pick up the results,” she said, “if it’s real bad.”
Ordinarily, election judges drop off their equipment, which contains the electronic ballots, at the Brazoria County Clerk’s elections division in Angleton. With the inclement weather, Evans said it might not be safe to have people from 18 locations trying to drive into Angleton. Evans said the county might use larger trucks that would carry the equipment more safely on an icy road.
“So the results could be in later,” she said.
Candidates in the runoff, Republican businessmen Randy Weber and Mike O’Day, won their right to today’s election during a special emergency election Dec. 19. Weber and O’Day beat Republican John Gorman and Democrat Anthony DiNovo.
The special emergency election and subsequent runoff were brought on by the death of former Rep. Glenda Dawson, who died in September following a short illness. Dawson’s name had to remain on the general election ballot because state law prevents a name from being removed within 74 days of the election.
When Dawson won the general election in November by 60 percent, Gov. Rick Perry ordered the special emergency election.
Early voting returns in the runoff in Brazoria County actually have run a little bit ahead of returns from the special election. After five days of early voting in the runoff, 3,259 voters cast their ballots compared to the 3,109 in the special election. The votes increased despite there being only four locations this time around compared to the five in the special election.
District 29 covers the northern and western parts of Brazoria County along with all of Matagorda County. The two candidates were a bit surprised by the early voting returns, but they attributed the slightly higher return to getting the word out about the election.
“I’ve been running my legs off trying to call voters, burning up the phone lines,” Weber said.
The return also indicates the presence of the two candidates from the northern part of the county, O’Day said. Weber and O’Day are from Pearland.
“You have candidates that are well known in the community,” he said.
The weather likely will have an effect on turnout in today’s election, Evans said.
“They’ve had a steady stream of voters” in early voting, she said. “But if the streets are icy, people are going to think twice.”
Those registered to vote in the 2006 general election can vote in the runoff, but only voters who live in District 29 are eligible to vote, Evans said. There are about 80,000 Brazoria County voters who live within District 29 and close to 20,000 in Matagorda County.
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Voting By Precinct
10 Damon Elementary School
11 Iowa Colony Community Center
12, 26 Drainage District No. 4 Building, Pearland
13 First Baptist Church, Old Ocean
16, 3, 39 Alvin Senior Center
21 First Baptist Church, Rosharon
28, 46 Pearland Church of Christ
29, 76 Challenger Elementary School, Pearland
36, 67 VFW Hall, Pearland
40 Manvel High School
41, 25, 52 Nolan Ryan Center at Alvin Community College
58, 75 Cobblestone Park Apartment Homes Gym
59 Mary Marek Elementary School
61, 51, 68 First Church of Pearland
63, 60, 62 Silverlake Elementary School, Pearland
64 Majestic Christian Center, Pearland
65 Carriage House, Pearland
77, 47 Second Baptist Church, Pearland
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