Liberty County accepts Nov. 4 canvases; JP Precinct 5 local option passes, staff warn of aging equipment and low poll-worker pay

The Liberty County Commissioners Court accepted canvases for the Nov. 4 special election on Nov. 7, confirming that the local option election for Justice of the Peace Precinct 5 passed. County staff said the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) notification allows beer and wine sales in JP 5 once administrative steps are complete.

“Each of you has a copy of the canvas. The propositions all passed. The local option election for JP 5 passed by quite a big margin,” Miss Chambers said.

Election staff reported a scanner malfunction late on election day but said the issue occurred near the end of voting and was resolved. Staff noted the county’s election equipment was purchased in January 2019 and is now about seven years old. “We had a scanner that failed. Luckily, it was at the very end of the day on election day,” Lee said. Poll pads were recently replaced, but staff recommended planning for equipment replacement and seeking grant support.

Officials also raised concerns about poll-worker pay. Staff told the court poll workers are paid $12 per hour in Liberty County while neighboring counties are paying $15 to $16 per hour; some poll workers have told staff that $12 may not be competitive for long shifts. “We might need to look at trying to budget a 15 hour pay instead of the 12 hour,” Lee said.

The clerk’s office described several local management districts and MUDs that also had measures on the ballot, including a Freedom Trail MUD in the Dayton area and parts of Plum Creek near the Tarkington/Montgomery County line; all referenced measures passed.

The court voted unanimously to accept the canvases and move on to preparations for the upcoming primary filing period.