Sheriff tightens early‑voting site controls; attorney warns of legal risk to barricade plan

Sheriff Latham presented revised early‑voting site procedures for the Kerr County Hill Country Youth Event Center ahead of early voting beginning the following week.

The sheriff said the plan funnels all entrants through a single gate to keep traffic off SH‑27, establishes a solid barricade to prevent stopping on the highway, marks the 100‑foot non‑electioneering zone and stations deputies during open hours. The sheriff described the layout changes as safety measures to avoid past incidents where campaigners stopped cars near the highway and caused backups.

A speaker identified as an attorney cautioned that the proposed barrier and a prohibition on approaching cars could raise legal exposure under election law and Secretary of State guidance on reasonable time, place and manner restrictions. The speaker noted that an earlier city attempt at a similar approach had lost in state and federal court and said only a court can finally determine what is reasonable. “Putting a barrier and prohibiting people from approaching cars...is exactly one of those things,” the attorney warned.

Commissioners responded that the county attorney would review the matter and emphasized public safety concerns tied to traffic backups at the polling site. The sheriff said the changes will be publicized and enforced to protect voters and keep traffic flowing.

Why it matters: With early voting imminent, the county’s plan directly affects how residents can campaign near polling places and could prompt legal challenges over electioneering restrictions versus public‑safety measures.