East Texas

By CINDY MALLETTE
Staff Writer

Election officials in both Republican and Democratic primaries cited record turnouts as voting came to a close Tuesday night.

Party representatives say more voters turned out this year because of key issues at stake on Tuesday's ballots.

With the final votes counted, official records show that 22,756 Republicans voted, and 18,736 Democrats cast ballots.

According to the Texas Secretary of State, in the year 2000, about 14,800 Republicans cast ballots in the primary. In 2004, the number was close to 18,000.

Smith County Democrat officials say their party saw the greatest increase in turnout this year. In 2000, only 3,017 Democrats voted in the primary. That number shrank in 2004, to 2,995 voters, then exploded to more than 18,000 this year.

At 6 p.m., a line of 50-or-so voters waited to cast ballots at Tyler Independent School District's Administration Building. Democrat Precinct Judge Vennie Jackson said at least 300 people had voted by 5:30 p.m., and more were expected to show up.

"It's been wonderful. The Democrats are turning out in big numbers," she said.

Republicans were there, too, since the TISD Administration Building is a mixed polling location. But they didn't show up in quite the same numbers, said Republican Precinct Judge John Anderson.

"We've had a very low turnout, but it's bigger than it was in 2006," he said.

As for the Democrats: "Their turnout has been phenomenal," he said.

"The excitement has been over here," he added. "There are a lot of young, multicultural voters."

Democrats were scheduled to begin caucusing at 7:15 p.m., but at the TISD Administration Building, more than 20 people were still waiting to vote in the primary. Caucusing didn't get underway until after 8 p.m., and it wasn't completely over by 10 p.m.

Democrats selected roughly one-third of their delegates in the caucuses, and the other two-thirds were chosen through the primary voting process.

Republicans do not hold to a primary / caucus system; instead, all of the Republican delegates are assigned through the primary vote.

Dave Pierson, a Republican precinct judge at Southern Oaks Baptist Church, said he expected close to 400 voters had cast ballots by 7 p.m.

"We've had a really good turnout," Pierson said, adding that it's the local races that are bringing in the Republican voters.

"I think the people are really interested in what's going on," he said.

Smith County Republican Party Chairman Ashton Oravetz said Republican voters were more enthusiastic about the local races, rather than the presidential race, because their votes would have a major impact on local government. At stake were a district judge race, a sheriff's race, two commissioner races and three constable races that were all decided in the Republican primary.

"There's obviously a lot of reason for people to have come out and vote," Oravetz said.

Edna Morris from the Smith County Elections administration checks precinct bags during election night in front of the County Courthouse Annex.
(Staff photo by Jaime R. Carrero)