Wichita County ballot mix-up, be careful

From a listener in Wichita County, Texas regarding the current election:

For those who live in Wichita County:

If you live inside Wichita County but outside of city limits, there should be two items on your ballot.

One item is about a bond to pay for a new sheriff’s office and jail.  Everyone in Wichita County votes on this.

The second item is about raising the sales tax in the unincorporated parts of Wichita County.  Only the residents of unincorporated areas get to vote on this, i.e.- if you live in Wichita County but outside city limits.

I live a couple miles outside of city limits.  I bought the house specifically because it was outside of city limits.  I went to vote yesterday, and my ballot did not include the sales tax item.  I brought this to the attention of the poll workers.  They verified that I didn’t live in city limits, and then they got me the correct ballot.  Then I voted.  The poll workers informed me that if I had casted my ballot before bringing it to their attention that I had the wrong ballot, they would not have been able to fix it.

I live a couple miles outside of the city limits, and there are many houses and a few road between me and city limits.  I worry that some of my neighbors will go and vote, not have the sales tax item on their ballot, and not know it is supposed to be on there.

I went and told everyone on my street, made flyers, informed the local morning talk radio, and informed the local news.  The Local news editor said it wasn’t a story unless it happened to more people, but how will people know that they have been disenfranchised unless they are informed?  They can’t be informed if it’s not out there in the news, and there are only two more days before the point is moot.

I don’t believe there is any maliciousness in this incident, but that it is simply a clerical error, where the state of Texas got things mixed up.

Best Regards,
Madison

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