According to Howard County Elections Administrator Saundra Bloom, those local contests are driving up vote tallies with more than 25 percent of the county’s registered voters expected to cast a ballot.

“We had 1,779 ballots cast during early voting in the Republican Primary and 1,034 ballots in the Democratic contest, so we’re going into tomorrow well ahead of totals posted in the 2004 presidential primaries,” said Bloom. “I feel like we’ll get another 2,500 ballots Tuesday, which should put us somewhere near 5,000 ballots, which represents 28 percent of the registered voters in Howard County.

“I really feel like it’s the local races that are pushing this. Even with the race between Obama Barrack and Hillary Clinton so publicized, our numbers for the Democratic primary are down, so I feel like it’s the local sheriff and commissioners races that had the voters coming out during early voting.”

Among those races is contest for the Precinct 3 seat on the commissioner’s court, with nearly a half-dozen hopefuls on the Republican ballot.

Dick Dubose, who ran for the seat four years ago, is the lone Democratic candidate, automatically earning him a place on the November ballot. However, Steve Gray, Winston Paschal Odom, Jimmie Wayne Long and Fred Green will have to duke it out in hopes of winning the Republican nomination.

Sheriff Dale Walker is running for re-election on the Republican ticket, facing off against Gary Morgan and Stan Parker in the primaries, with former HCSO deputy Pat Carter the lone candidate on the Democratic ticket.

Edwin O. Ware will be able to quietly cruise through the primaries as the lone Republican candidate seeking the Precinct 1 seat on the commissioners court, while incumbent Emma Brown and challenger Yolanda Mendoza will try to win the Democratic nomination. Brown defeated Mendoza in her last bid for re-election approximately four years ago.

Also in Howard County contests, County Attorney Mike Thomas is running for re-election with the Democratic Party, drawing his only opponent in local attorney Joshua Hamby, who is running on the Republican ticket, setting up yet another November showdown.

Howard County Constable Bill Holden is running for re-election on the Democratic ticket, and while he failed to draw an opponent for the primaries, Kneel B. Stallings has filed to challenge on the Republican card, forcing the contest to a November resolution.

Polling places and their corresponding precincts include:

• Northside Fire Station: 11-14, 16, 103-105, 112

• Life Church: 22, 24-26, 205, 208

• Coahoma Community Center: 207, 207C, 408, 409

• First Baptist Church: 33-35, 304

• Dorothy Garrett Coliseum: 42, 44-46, 404-407

For more information on the election, contact Bloom at 264-2273.

Contact Staff Writer Thomas Jenkins at 263-7331 ext. 232 or by e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it