Strong turnout for early voting in Olney, Young County

Young County voters are turning out strongly in early voting for the Nov. 8 election despite not having a presidential election to decide this year, state and local election officials said

Early voting started on Monday, Oct. 24, and concludes on Friday, Nov. 4 this year. Olney poll workers said they saw about 200 voters on the first day of early voting at the city’s sole polling place - the Olney Community Library and Arts Center. Young County Registrar Kaitlyn Mosely reported that 4 percent, or 502 voters, turned out across the county on the first day of early voting. By Friday, Oct. 28, that number had risen to 18 percent, or 2,252 voters, she said

In the 2018 election, Young County had 11,499 voters and 56 percent of these turned out to vote in the November general election that year. Just 35 percent took advantage of early voting that year.

This year, there are 11,988 registered voters in Young County, and 18 percent or 2,252 voters had gone to the polls as of Friday, Oct. 28, the registrar said.

Off-year elections historically draw fewer voters than in years with presidential elections but Texas voters have to decide a high-visibility governor’s race between Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who is seeking a third term, and Democrat Beto O’Rourke, a former U.S. Representative from El Paso. In the other top statewide races, incumbent Republicans Dan Patrick, Ken Paxton, Glenn Heger, and Sid Miller are seeking third terms as Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Comptroller of Public Accounts, and Agriculture Commissioner, respectively. In Young County, voters will decide whether Republican nominee Win Graham or write-in candidate Joe Finfrock will fill the county judgeship held by retiring Judge John Bullock.

Incumbent County Commissioners Jimmy Wiley of Precinct 4 and incoming Commissioner Scott Shook of Precinct 2 face no general election opponents after winning the Republican primary. District Clerk Jamie Freeze Land, County Clerk Kay Jennings Hardin, County Treasurer Kathy Mishler, and Justices of the Peace Jason Hearne and Joey Stewart also were unopposed and declared elected.

In 2020, Young County had 11,769 registered voters, and 70 percent of those turned out to vote in the 2020 general election featuring Donald Trump and Joe Biden at the top of the ticket, statistics from the Young County Registrar show. Of those voters, 86 percent took advantage of early voting, the statistics show.