Comal County voters weren’t wasting their last chance to vote early for Tuesday’s primary election — even if it meant braving lines and the cold.
“It’s been very busy,” Elections Administrator Cynthia Jaqua said on Friday, as voters entering the county’s main election office crammed into a single line leading to identification tables prior to casting ballots.
“Even though there’s cold weather, the last day of early voting is usually ‘procrastination day’ for showing up to vote,” Jaqua added. “We’ve had a lot of them on cold days and stand in lines before, but these here today have been here for a while.”
Fourteen state offices are on ballots, including the top two, governor and lieutenant governor. All of the state’s U.S. House and Texas House seats are up for reelection, as well as half in the Texas Senate. Also up are three justiceships on the state Supreme Court and three on the Court of Criminal Appeals.
Thanks to redistricting by the 87th Texas Legislature, residents in New Braunfels will select among more than three dozen candidates competing in U.S. House races in the 15th, 21st, 28th and 35th districts. Any needed runoff elections featuring the top two vote-getters from Tuesday’s balloting will be held on Saturday, May 21.
Most Comal and Guadalupe county offices are unopposed for the primaries and won’t face Democratic challengers in the fall, assuring winners of new terms.
There are few GOP competitive races, as four seek to succeed retiring 207th District Court Judge Jack Robison; Mike Britt and Ashley R. Evans are vying to succeed outgoing Precinct 4 Justice of the Peace Jennifer Saunders, and Randy Gray, Comal County Court at Law No. 1 incumbent is seeking to fend off challenger Marilee Hazel.
The race for the redrawn Texas House District 73 — which now includes Comal and much of the rural area in Hays County — features former New Braunfels Mayor Barron Casteel and former New Braunfels City Councilman George Green as well as Carrie Isaac of Dripping Springs, who narrowly lost a race for another seat in 2020.
Incumbent Donna Campbell and newcomer Channon Cain are battling in Texas Senate District 25 now includes all of Comal, Blanco and Kendall counties, north Bexar County, southwest Guadalupe County, and western portions of Hays and Travis counties.
Campbell, a physician, has represented the district since 2012 and seeks a third, four-year term against Cain, a financial professional from Lakeway who has painted Campbell as a liberal compared to his far-right agenda.
Friday balloting
Jaqua said all six early voting locations were swamped on Friday, and 12,898 of the county’s 124,414 eligible voters had cast ballots, including 2,985 alone by 1 p.m. Friday. The downtown elections office totaled 3,556 in-person votes, the Mammen Library in Bulverde second with 2,695 and St. Francis Episcopal Church in Canyon Lake third with 2,139.
There have been 700 Republican and 539 Democratic ballots received through the mail, with the county’s non-partisan ballot board reviewing 1,867 ballots for possible defects. Voters have been contacted to make sure they get their votes counted, Jaqua said.
There haven’t been any incidents of problems with Hart Verity Duo paper ballot scanners, and no voting machine malfunctions, she added.
Early voting ended at 7 p.m. Friday and resumes at 25 countywide sites from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday. For more, visit the county’s elections website, www.co.comal.tx.us/Elections.htm, or the elections link at the Texas Secretary of State’s website, www.sos.state.tx.us.
Those with questions should contact the Comal County Elections Office at 221-1352 or votecomal.com.
ELECTION DAY POLLING LOCATIONS
Comal County
Comal County voters may cast ballots at these locations from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday:
• VC 1, Comal County Senior Center, 655 Landa Street, New Braunfels.
• VC 2, Mammen Family Public Library, Meeting Room A, 131 Bulverde Crossing, Bulverde.
• VC 3, Freedom Fellowship Church, Foyer, 410 Oak Run Point, New Braunfels.
• VC 4, Tye Preston Memorial Library, 16311 South Access Road, Canyon Lake.
• VC 5, Canyon Springs Resort Clubhouse, 691 Canyon Springs Drive, Canyon Lake.
• VC 6, ESD 4, Fire Station No. 4, 215 Rebecca Creek Road, Canyon Lake.
• VC 7, Vintage Oaks Amenity Center, 1250 Via Principale, New Braunfels.
• VC 8, Lakeside Golf Club, 405 Watts Lane, Canyon Lake.
• VC 9, Cibolo Creek Community Church, 30395 Ralph Fair Road, Boerne.
• VC 10, Peace Lutheran Church, Foyer, 1147 S. Walnut Ave., New Braunfels.
• VC 11, Christ Our King Anglican Church, 115 Kings Way, New Braunfels.
• VC 12, Comal County Bulverde Annex, JP 2 Courtroom, 30470 Cougar Bend, Bulverde.
• VC 13, Garden Ridge Community Center, 9500 Municipal Parkway, Garden Ridge.
• VC 14, Bulverde/Spring Branch Fire/EMS at Johnson Ranch, 30475 Johnson Way, Bulverde.
• VC 15, Westside Community Center Gym, 2932 S. Interstate 35, New Braunfels.
• VC 16, Knights of Columbus Club Hall, 111 Landa Street, New Braunfels.
• VC 17, New Braunfels Public Library, 700 E. Common St., New Braunfels.
• VC 18, Comal County Goodwin Annex, 1297 Church Hill Drive, New Braunfels.
• VC 19, New Braunfels Christian Church, Fellowship Hall, 734 N. Loop 337, New Braunfels.
• VC 20, Eden Hill, Town Hall, 631 Lakeview Blvd., New Braunfels.
• VC 21, St. Francis by the Lake Episcopal Church, Large Room, 121 Spring Mountain, Canyon Lake.
• VC 22, North Shore United Methodist Church, 23880 N. Cranes Mill Road, Canyon Lake.
• VC 23, Gruene Methodist Church, 2629 E. Common St., New Braunfels.
• VC 24, Rebecca Creek Baptist Church, 11755 U.S. 281 North, Spring Branch.
• VC 25, River Chase Clubhouse, 436 River Chase Way, New Braunfels.
GUADALUPE COUNTY
Guadalupe County voters may cast ballots at these locations from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday:
• VC 1, McQueeney Lions Club, 3211 FM 78, McQueeney.
• VC 2, Vogel Elementary School, 16121 FM 725, Seguin.
• VC 3, Seguin ISD Administration Building, 1221 E. Kingsbury, Seguin.
• VC 4, Forest Hills Baptist Church, 8251 FM 1117, Seguin.
• VC 5, Precinct 1 Justice of the Peace Court, 214 Medical Drive, Seguin.
• VC 6, Kingsbury United Methodist Church, 7035 FM 2438, Kingsbury.
• VC 7, Staples Baptist Church, 10020 FM 621, Staples.
• VC 8, Maranatha Fellowship Hall, 2356 S. State Highway 80, Luling.
• VC 9, TLU Alumni Student Center, Conference Rooms A/B, 1109 University Street, Seguin.
• VC 10, Redemptive Grace Ministries, 3240 FM 725, New Braunfels.
• VC 11, McQueeney VFW Post 9213, 275 Gallagher, McQueeney.
• VC 12, Columbus Club of Seguin, 1015 S. Austin Street, Seguin.
• VC 13, Our Lady of Guadalupe Church Annex, 730 N. Guadalupe St., Seguin.
• VC 14, Westside Baptist Church, 1208 N. Vaughan St., Seguin.
• VC 15, American Legion Hall, 618 E. Kingsbury, Seguin.
• VC 16, Geronimo Community Center, 280 Navarro Drive, Geronimo.
• VC 17, St. Joseph’s Mission, 5093 Redwood Road, San Marcos.
• VC 18, The Silver Center, 510 E. Court Street, Seguin.
• VC 19, Central Texas Technology Center, Building B, 2189 FM 758, New Braunfels.
• VC 20, The Cross Church, 814 N. Bauer, Seguin.
• VC 21, Santa Clara City Hall, 1653 N. Santa Clara Road, Santa Clara.
• VC 22, Marion Dolford Learning Center, 200 W. Schlather Lane, Cibolo.
• VC 23, Schertz Elections Office, 1101 Elbel Road, Schertz.
• VC 24, Schertz United Methodist Church, 3460 Roy Richard Drive, Schertz.
• VC 25, Selma City Hall, 9375 Corporate Drive, Selma.
• VC 26, Crosspoint Fellowship Church, 2600 Roy Richard Drive, Schertz.
• VC 27, Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, 212 N. Barnett Street, Marion.
• VC 28, Schertz Community Center, 1400 Schertz Parkway, Schertz.
• VC 29, Guadalupe County Services Center, 1052 FM 78, Schertz.
• VC 30, Schertz Community Center North, 3501 Morning Drive, Cibolo.
• VC 31, St. John’s Lutheran Church, 606 S. Center Street, Marion.
• VC 32, New Berlin City Hall, 9180 FM 775, New Berlin.
• VC 33, NBISD Transportation Building, 2621 Klein Way, New Braunfels.
• VC 34, Cibolo Fire Station No. 2, 3864 Cibolo Valley Drive, Cibolo.
• VC 35, Living Waters Worship Center, 3325 State Highway 46, Seguin.
