Liberty County elections board approves contracts, consolidates locations and backs countywide polling program

The Liberty County Elections Board on March 7 approved a slate of actions to prepare for the May 3, 2025 city and school elections, including election contracts (with one contract conditioned on the developer district supplying a voter by March 14), a consolidated set of voting locations that excludes Hardin for this cycle, publication of required notices and a logic-and-accuracy test on April 2, and a resolution opposing the elimination of countywide polling places, electronic poll books and electronic ballot marking devices.

The actions matter because they set logistics and legal posture for upcoming local elections and respond to pending state legislation that board members said could restrict current vote-center and electronic‑poll‑book practices. The board voted to forward the resolution to the Liberty County Commissioners Court for their consideration on March 11.

The board approved the elections contracts under agenda item 5(a) while noting one contract requires a physical voter to be placed by Liberty County MUD No. 15 so the county can generate ballots. Lee, an elections office staff member, told the board the MUD has until March 14 to provide the required voter and that the county will cancel the contract if the voter is not provided: "I've given them till the fourteenth, or we're gonna cancel their contract." The board approved the contracts with that contingency; the motion to approve was made by Michael Mark and seconded by Rick Garland.

Board members discussed how contract billing will cover all hours the elections office must staff during the entity's election, including overtime. A board member asked that the contracts cover "all the hours of the voter register personnel, including whatever overtime hours would be included," and Lee said the office will estimate hours and bill the entities accordingly. Lee and other staff said they plan to staff a single worker for required open hours to limit overtime costs and that Heather (a full‑time elections employee) would be the primary worker unless restricted by other duties.

The board reviewed how the county will print ballots. Lee said most ballots will be standard 8½-by-11 paper, but the City of Cleveland charter election will require separate printing because it includes about 13 charter amendments and will be a several‑page ballot. The county will separate those special ballots into separate boxes to simplify handling.

On locations, the board accepted the list of early‑voting and election‑day sites and agreed not to open the usual Hardin location this cycle, citing historically low turnout there: "We decided to not do Hardin, for this one... it's a lot of manpower for very little votes," Lee said. The board agreed to post notices redirecting Hardin voters to other locations. The approved plan covers early voting centers in the County and nine open locations for election day.

The board approved consolidation of precincts (agenda item 5(c)) so that precincts without contests will be consolidated into the nine voting centers being used for May 3. Lee explained that consolidation is a housekeeping step required when using vote centers and that the county will post notices for voters affected by consolidated precincts. Board members discussed the poll pad behavior for voters who show up at a consolidated site but do not live in any entity holding an election; Lee said the poll pad will indicate they are not eligible for the city or school contests in this cycle.

Under agenda item 5(d), the board authorized publication of election notices and set the logic-and-accuracy test for Wednesday, April 2, at the Elections Office. Lee said two newspaper notices will be submitted (one announcing the election and one announcing the equipment test) and the office will post the notices on the county website.

Under agenda item 5(e), the board approved a resolution opposing elimination of the countywide polling place program, electronic poll books, and electronic ballot‑marking devices. The resolution, which the board will send to the Liberty County Commissioners Court for formal approval and then to the Texas Secretary of State as applicable, argues that countywide polling places and electronic poll books increase access, reduce travel burdens in a geographically large county and assist with identity verification and reconciliation. Wesley Thomas said he strongly supports the resolution, citing misinformation about election procedures and a desire to preserve the county's current processes: "There's a lot of misinformation about how elections are conducted... I've definitely strongly supported our election procedures in the past, and I agree with this resolution." The board voted to forward the resolution to Commissioners Court for the March 11 agenda.

Votes at a glance

- Approve elections contracts (agenda item 5(a)), contingent on Liberty County MUD No. 15 providing a voter by March 14; motion by Michael Mark, second by Rick Garland; outcome: approved (voice vote).

- Accept early‑voting and election‑day locations (agenda item 5(b)), including removal of the Hardin site for this cycle; motion by Rick Garland, second by Michael Mark; outcome: approved (voice vote).

- Approve consolidation of precincts into the designated vote centers for the May 3, 2025 city and school elections (agenda item 5(c)); motion by Rick Garland, second by Wesley Thomas; outcome: approved (voice vote).

- Publish election notices and set logic-and-accuracy testing (agenda item 5(d)); motion by Wesley Thomas, second by Rick Garland; outcome: approved (voice vote). Logic-and-accuracy test: April 2 at the Elections Office.

- Approve resolution opposing elimination of the countywide polling place program, electronic poll books and electronic ballot marking devices (agenda item 5(e)); motion by Wesley Thomas, second by Michael Mark; outcome: approved (voice vote). The board will present the resolution to Commissioners Court on March 11.

What the board did not decide

The board did not change county election law or make any statement beyond approving the resolution and forwarding it to the Commissioners Court. It did not set any new fees or adopt any changes to voting technology beyond what is described in the resolution and notices.

Next steps and context

The approved items set the operational plan for May 3 and the board directed staff to post required notices, complete the April 2 equipment test and coordinate printing and ballot packing. The resolution opposing changes to vote centers and voting technology will be considered by the Commissioners Court on March 11, after which the county expects to transmit approvals or certifications that may be required by the Texas Secretary of State.