Pandemic leads to delays in local elections

Efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19 in Texas have resulted in changes to upcoming elections.

The March 3 party primary runoff has been delayed from its scheduled date of Tuesday, May 26 to Tuesday, July 14.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott postponed the runoff and also gave cities and school districts the option to postpone May 2 city council and school board elections until the general election Nov. 3.

So far in Wood County, the Mineola School Board and the Quitman City Council have made that move.

Entities that do not have contested elections, such as the cities of Mineola and Alba, are not impacted by the postponements, as those unopposed candidates have been declared the winners and can be sworn in at the meetings that follow what would have been the May election date.

The two local runoffs impacted by the postponement include Wood County sheriff and Precinct One commissioner in the Republican primary.

In each case, the winner will earn the position as there are no Democratic candidates at the county level in the general election.

By moving school board and city council elections to November, those races will appear on the same ballot as all the county, state and federal elections, including for U.S. president.

Persons whose terms on the city council or school board would have expired in May will continue to serve until the November election.