Kerrville City Secretary Shelley McElhannon released information to candidates on Friday outlining the processes for the municipal election that was rescheduled to November 3, 2020. During the initial shutdown period in March, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Greg Abbott issued a proclamation allowing for the postponement of municipal elections. Shortly thereafter, the state’s director of elections required that those elections be moved to November.
On April 3, the City of Kerrville officially postponed its election and stated that current officeholders would continue to serve in their elected positions until the new oaths of offices are administered in the fall, following the November 3 election. Although the election was delayed, the filing dates and deadlines did not change, meaning that no new candidates would be allowed to enter the race, and the ballot would include all six candidates that had, by then, entered the race.
November’s ballot will include the positions of Mayor, Place 3 Council, and Place 4 council. The incumbents and challengers vying for these seats include:
- Mayor Bill Blackburn challenged by David Barker
- Place 3 Judy Eychner challenged by Roman Garcia
- Place 4 Delayne Sigerman challenged by Brenda Hughes
Early Voting dates and locations
Early voting will begin on October 13, and will continue until October 30, 2020. Early voting locations will be the Hill Country Youth Event Center and the Ingram ISD Business Building. Voters that are eligible to vote in the City of Kerrville election will be able to vote in either location during early voting, and drive-through or curbside voting will be available at both locations.
- Early voting dates: October 13-30, 2020
- Location 1: Hill Country Youth Event Center
- Location 2: Ingram ISD Business Building
- City voters can cast a ballot in either location
Election Day locations
On November 3, voters will report to a polling place based on their precinct, as follows.
Ballot structure
City voters will receive only ONE ballot, which will include national, state, county, and city races. Voters that reside in the county (and therefore are not eligible to vote in city elections) will receive one ballot with national, state, and county races, but not municipal races.
There is no “straight ticket” voting in Texas. In other words, one cannot simply select Republican or Democrat and vote along party lines in that manner. Voters must select a candidate in each race. This will affect city election turnout numbers, since city candidates are not labeled with a political party.
Additional information
As the election dates approach, more information will be posted on Kerr County’s Elections page. The Kerr County Tax Assessor/Collector’s office oversees voter registration and elections in Kerr County, and their site contains a wealth of information about voting eligibility requirements, voter ID requirements, and will post the dates and times for early voting when they are finalized.
Kerr County Elections: https://www.co.kerr.tx.us/elections/