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Advantages to voting early for Road Bond Election

By: Donna Wick Publicity
| Published 04/11/2015

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THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- Nearly half the people voting in the upcoming 2015 Road Bond election won’t make it to polls on May 9, but their voice will still be heard loud and strong.

Early voting is a concept embraced by Montgomery County residents, according to Suzie Harvey, elections administrator and voter registrar. In recent years, approximately 50 percent of ballots were cast by voters prior to the official elections date.

“It’s more convenient for a lot of voters because there are more days to choose from to vote,” said Harvey. “Unlike election day when voters cast their ballots in a specific precinct during set hours, early voters can choose to vote in any early voting location in Montgomery County.”

Making voting more convenient is important because it encourages a higher percentage of Montgomery County’s 275,000 registered voters are able to cast ballots in an election. The percentage of eligible voters who participate in elections varies widely − from as low as six percent to as high as 66 percent.

“General elections tend to have higher levels of participation when there is a presidential election,” said Harvey. “Voter turnout has a lot to do with specific issues of interest or concern to the public.”

The upcoming election gives voters a say in a $350 million bond targeting 77 projects throughout Montgomery County, designed to reduce congestion, improve countywide mobility and enhance safety.

But because the election is not a general election, it is likely fewer voters will participate − meaning every vote is even more crucial. Supporters of the bond are urging residents to take advantage of early voting between April 27 and May 5.

“A lot of people have a busy schedule and finding time to vote on a Saturday can be difficult,” said Nelda Luce Blair, co-chair of the Montgomery County 2015 Road Bond Committee. “Early voting offers greater convenience and an opportunity to make sure your support for improving roads and infrastructure throughout the county is heard.” In fact, Blair notes, originally early voting was designated solely for voters with hardships who could not get to the polls on voting day; today, however, early voting is available to all voters. “Effectively, early voting takes away the excuse of not voting.”

Early voting is available April 27 through May 5 in the following locations: Montgomery County Administration Building Annex, 207 W. Phillips, Conroe; Magnolia Volunteer Fire Department #181, 18215 Buddy Riley Boulevard, Magnolia; County Courthouse Annex, 21130 Highway 59 South, New Caney; South County Community Building, 2235 Lake Robbins Drive, The Woodlands; North Montgomery County Community Center, 600 Gerald Street, Willis; Lone Star Community Center, 2500 Lone Star Parkway, Montgomery; and Generations Church, 405 Rayford Road, Spring.

For more information on voting, visit www.mctx.org/election. For more information on the planned road improvements, refer to the website www.KeepMontgomeryCountyMoving.com, call Keep Montgomery County Moving at 888-936-3997, email info@KeepMontgomeryCountyMoving.com, or connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest with KeepMoCoMoving. Join ongoing conversations with the hashtags #TiredOfTraffic, #KeepMoCoMoving, #VoteForRoadBonds.

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