As Election Day approaches, both Randall and Potter counties are reporting strong early voting turnout. In Randall County, 53,313 residents participated in in-person early voting, representing just over 53% of the county's registered voters. Potter County saw 23,019 voters cast ballots in person during the early voting period, about 39% of its 59,681 registered voters.
Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson shared on social media that over 8 million Texans had voted early in person for the Nov. 5 general election.
Both counties are preparing for a busy Election Day tomorrow. Voters should remember that, under Texas law, cell phones are prohibited within 100 feet of any voting station, and they may not be used for any purpose while in that area. However, you are allowed to bring in a filled-out sample ballot or notes to help you vote. Additionally, wearing clothing or accessories promoting a candidate or cause within 100 feet of a polling location is considered electioneering and can result in a Class C Misdemeanor.
Randall County Election Administrator Shannon Lackey emphasized that people are welcome to show support for a candidate or cause, but they must stay at least 100 feet away from the polling place entrance. Any suspected cases of electioneering should be reported to the Randall County Sheriff’s Office.
In Randall County, a record 100,105 people were registered to vote ahead of Election Day, and nearly half had already voted by Thursday. Lackey expected this number to surpass 50% by Friday. "The first day and the last day of early voting are always exceptionally busy," Lackey said.
Potter County reported that by Thursday, only about one-third of its registered voters had cast a ballot. Elections Administrator Christy Benge warned voters to expect longer wait times at polling locations tomorrow.
Both counties have reported no issues with "vote switching," a concern some voters might have. Lackey reassured the public, stating, "Every one of our poll workers is trained to ensure that voters check their printed vote record before casting their ballot. Once a ballot is submitted, it is locked in a secure bag and monitored until it is counted."
Election results are carefully reported. According to Lackey, Randall County’s election results are entered manually into a secure site without any data being transmitted over the internet. After the data is entered, the Secretary of State’s office calls to confirm the numbers. On Election Night, the public can view unofficial results on the county’s website, including checks on how many ballots have been counted and how many remain outstanding, such as mail-in or provisional ballots.
A "partial manual count" of randomly selected races and precincts is also conducted after each election to verify the accuracy of the results. Lackey noted that this procedure has been in place since 2006, and in all her years of working elections, the manual count has always matched the official results.
Potter County has also never had a post-election audit that contradicted the results reported on Election Night.
Both counties use certified voting systems that are not connected to the internet. The two certified systems in Texas—Election Systems & Software (ES&S) and Hart InterCivic—are rigorously secured to ensure the integrity of the election process.
