Published: October 29, 2009 12:37 am      

More than 500 ballots cast in early voting

Even with so many important items on the ballots, it appears there will be a relatively sparse turnout in Hunt County for the Nov. 3 elections.

More than 500 people have participated so far during the early voting process, with two more days left to go.

Early voting will continue between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. today and Friday at the Hunt County Voter Administration Office, 2217 Washington Street in downtown Greenville.

Hunt County Elections Administrator Mina Cook said that as of Wednesday evening, 548 people had either cast early ballots in person or by mail for the elections. A total of 586 early votes were cast locally for the last constitutional amendment election in Texas, in November 2007.

In contrast, more than 5,200 voters participated in early voting in Hunt County for the elections in November 2006 and more than 13,000 people in the county cast early ballots for the November 2008 presidential election.

Among the issues voters are deciding is whether the Cash community south of Greenville will become Hunt County’s newest city. A map of the area proposed for incorporation is available through the Voter Administration Office. The City of Cash, if it is approved, would start at State Highway 34 where it runs eastward between County Road 3505 and Rancho Road on the west and includes tracts of land along Brookland Drive, Shady Acres Road and Byrum Road. If voters do approve the formation of a new city, on the same ballot Jeramy Williams, Cody Baise and Jason B. Monroe are also seeking to become the first members of the city’s commission.

Residents of Quinlan and Wolfe City will be deciding on whether to allow sales of beer and wine, residents of the Cash community will decide whether they want to become a city and there are 11 proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution; propositions dealing with changes in how properties are appraised and with how private property can be taken for public use through eminent domain.