Lubbock County expects record turnout, increased efficiency for early voting, Election Day

Lubbock County elections officials are gearing up for what they expect to be one of the busiest elections here in recent memory, preparing to open new polling locations and adding equipment to increase efficiency during early voting and on Election Day.

Americans will go to the polls on Nov. 5 to choose a new president. Early voting in Texas runs Oct. 21-Nov. 1. In Lubbock County, some voters will have the opportunity to select their county commissioner, weigh in on city and school bond proposals and even decide whether to allow the city to annex their neighborhood.

Lubbock County Elections Administrator Roxzine Stinson told the Avalanche-Journal she is forecasting potentially record-breaking turnout this November, largely driven by the county's growth during a presidential election year.

"The county's grown. This county is really growing," Stinson said. "The presidential (election) brings out quite a few more voters than other elections do."

Stinson said more than 196,000 registered voters live in Lubbock County, with about a thousand voter registration applications still to be processed.

"So I'm looking at 140,000 to 145,000, maybe more, to show up," Stinson said. "I'm expecting about 72 or 73 percent (turnout)."

But with the increased turnout, Stinson said, voters can expect to wait in line to cast their ballot.

"I figure it doesn't matter if it's early voting or on Election Day, you're going to be waiting in line. And I don't think it'll matter which polling location you go to," Stinson said. "I do ask folks to be gracious and kind with one another and have some patience. Just understand that there are going to be lines because of the turnout we're expecting for this election."

Officials hope new systems, additional polling places will increase efficiency

In an effort to streamline the voting process and bring the county in compliance with recent legislative changes, Lubbock County is introducing some new technology to its polling places this November.

Poll workers will use new "Poll Pads" to check voters in at the polls. The new iPads and associated equipment will replace the old PC-based electronic poll book system, which elections officials said will save voters time ahead of casting their ballot. The actual voting machines and ballot scanners will remain unchanged.

"It's faster. That's definitely one of the things we like about the Poll Pads," said Karyn Cruz, Lubbock County election systems specialist. "It's going to be more efficient, and that's what we're looking for, so we can get the voters checked in and get that done in a timely manner. This eliminates a couple of steps for them."

"We want to keep those lines as short as possible," she continued. "The rest of the process is going to remain the same. … The only thing that's changing is the check-in process. With this, it's going to be so much quicker. It's easier for the voter and it's easier for the poll worker."

Stinson said Lubbock County is also increasing the number of polling locations for this election to 50, up from 38 during the last cycle. The move is in response to new legislation requiring more polling locations for some counties, but Stinson hopes it will also help to decrease voter wait times.

Even with the increased workload, Stinson said her office is well-prepared and ready to go when voting starts.

"We've got seals, we've got paperwork, cleaning cloths. We've been getting the equipment prepped and ready, making sure everything's in good repair," she said. "We've been working on it for a year or more."

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Lubbock County expects record turnout for early voting, Election Day