Harrison County applying for countywide voting system after precinct boundary changes

HARRISON COUNTY, Texas (KLTV) - Voters in one East Texas county may soon be able to cast their ballots anywhere in the county regardless of their voting precinct.

A public meeting was held Tuesday in Harrison County for citizens to give input on the county moving to a countywide voting system also known as open polling. County Judge Chad Sims said the county decided to go in this direction after they had to redraw some of the commissioner and voting precincts. Sims said this way, registered Harrison County voters can cast their ballot anywhere in the county.

“So with the new boundaries, people would be redrawn into a new precinct and they voted somewhere for the last ten years and starting next year they’d have to vote somewhere else and there’s always that confusion so it’s perfect timing for us to eliminate that problem and go to open polling,” Sims said.

Sims said they are sending an application to the Texas Secretary of State. If approved, the county hopes to have the system implemented in time for the March primary election with the hopes that it become permanent afterwards.