Victoria County may skew red overall, but Tuesday's election is still an important one for local Republican and Democratic voters alike.
"It's really important because we have so many candidates," said Victoria County Republican Chairman Bill Pozzi on Friday, adding that more competition among Republicans is simply healthy for democracy.
"It is important," said Pozzi's counterpart, Victoria County Democratic Chairman Woodrow Wilson Wagner II. "Although we don't have (many) candidates in county offices, we still have candidates at the state level ... there’s still a reason to get out there Tuesday."
Tuesday, Crossroads voters will have one more day to make their voices heard in this year's joint primary election. Voters will receive primary ballots for the party of their choice and will decide who will continue to the general election on Nov. 8.
In Victoria County, 32 polling locations will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voters may want to vote in the morning, said Kristen Gonzales, deputy elections clerk, because polls tend to get more crowded as the day goes on.
Victoria County Voting Locations
Those who wish to submit vote-by mail ballots must do so at the county elections office, 2805 N. Navarro St. Suite 500, inside the Dr. Pattie Dodson Public Health Center from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday.
The elections office is having problems with some vote-by mail ballots because not everyone is putting their identification on the ballots when they return them. Under the new SB1 law the voter's ID is required is a designated place on the envelope.
The affected voters have been sent a notice asking them to correct the problems by March 1. As of Friday, 287 ballots are being rejected if they are not corrected by Tuesday, according to a news release from the elections administrator's office.
Voters are required to bring a form of photo identification, which could be a driver's license, Texas ID or passport.
Although photo ID is the only requirement, registered voters are also encouraged to do a little research before showing up.
Ballots will do little more than inform voters who is running and on what party. To learn who the candidates are and what they stand for, voters are encouraged to read the nonpartisan League of Women Voters of Texas guide, which is available in English and Spanish.
Sample ballots and the voter guides are available with the online version of this story or on the county elections office website,
www.vctxelections.org.
Download PDF - League of Women Voters of Texas guide English
Download PDF - League of Women Voters of Texas guide Spanish
Democratic candidate running in the Victoria County primary, Precinct 1 Justice of the Peace MaryAnn Rivera, some Democratic voters may wish to opt for a Republican ballot. Wagner said he supports doing so because many Democrats may support Republican candidates in good faith. Switching parties for the primary doesn't make a voter a "traitor," he said.
"There are lot of good people running for county offices," he said.
With so many Republicans vying for office in the primary, this election will be especially important for those who vote on the Republican ballot, Pozzi said. The votes cast Tuesday will be a deciding factor in how the November election shapes out.
Luckily, Pozzi said he is expecting a decent turnout come Tuesday.
And despite concerns nationally about the security and fairness of elections, both Wagner and Pozzi said they have the utmost trust for the election process in Victoria County.
"Whatever you’re reading, that's not happening here in Victoria County," Wagner said. "We have a fair, safe and very transparent election where we can take a lot of confidence — whether the person is a Republican or Democrat."
Pozzi agreed saying that he has witnessed firsthand how elections work in Victoria County as an official within the county's Republican Party.
"I was so surprised by how fair and transparent and helpful the people here in Victoria are," Pozzi said, adding, "I cannot find fault with them."
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