“Beto” signs can be seen around Orange, but the Democrat will need to convert a lot of people to win the county. Incumbent U.S. Senator Ted Cruz took 72.59 percent of the Orange County vote when he first ran in 2012.
People taking sides on political issues will get a chance to vote for their favorites as early voting begins Monday. The Senate race has drawn the most attention because Orange County has only two contested local races, and those are only for individual precincts.
People living in the West Orange-Cove CISD will vote on a $25.75 million bond issue for a variety of items in existing buildings and sports fields. The projects include an events center and fine arts center.
School district voters will cast early ballots at the Orange Public Library during the regular early voting hours.
Early voting will be Monday, October 22, through Saturday, October 27, and then Monday, October 29, through Friday November 2. The hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., except for extended hours on Tuesdays October 23 and October 30. Extended hours are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The four sites across Orange County will be the Orange Public Library, 220 North Fifth Street in Orange; Mauriceville Volunteer Fire Department, 10691 North Highway 62 in Mauriceville; Bridge City Public Works Building, 220 Nitsche Street in Bridge City, and Raymond Gould Community Center, 385 Claiborne Street in Vidor.
Registered Orange County voters may cast an early ballot at any of those sites. They will need an approved state voting ID like a driver’s license, a U.S. passport, or a state concealed handgun license.
The general election will be Tuesday, November 6, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. On that day, voters must go to their assigned voting box.
Most of the Orange County elections have Republicans running unopposed. Democrats are running against Republicans in two local races.
For the Precinct 2 County Commissioner seat, Theresa Adams Beauchamp beat the incumbent Barry Burton in the Republican primary. She is facing Democrat Deborah Mitchell. Both candidates are former members of the Orange City Council.
Precinct 1 Justice of the Peace Herschel Stagner, a Republican, is running in his first election after county commissioners appointed him to fill the position when David Peck resigned. Stagner is being challenged by Democrat Gail Shaw Barnett, a local lawyer who is on the board of the City of Orange Economic Development Corporation.
-Margaret Toal, KOGT-
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