COUNTY LIFE
Montague County election officials feels confident about mail-in voting
By BARBARA GREEN
editor@bowienewsonline.com
With all the election pandering surrounding mail-in ballots for the upcoming general election, Montague County Elections Administrators Ginger Wall said she feels confident they will be able to process the ballots in a timely fashion; however, she encourages those planning to apply to do so as soon as possible before the Oct. 23 deadline.
As many states still battle high COVID-19 infection rates, citizens wonder if they can safely go to the polls and vote in November. In turn, if they vote by mail, will their ballots arrive in time if there are slowdowns in the post office?
Before the pandemic struck in March within the United States only five states – Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Utah and Washington – conducted their elections using a vote-by-mail system. Though all states allow voters to vote by mail in certain circumstances, before the pandemic, 16 states required voters to provide reasons for their preferences before the application was approved.
All voters in at least 43 states will be able to vote by mail in the November elections as absentee voting was expanded for safety reasons during the pandemic. Some 34 states had absentee voting prior to the pandemic, allowing any voters to vote by mail without requiring an excuse. An additional nine states have either dropped the excuse requirement or added concerns about COVID-19 to be a valid reason.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton informed county election officials in June fear of contracting COVID-19 is not a valid disability for the purposes of receiving a ballot by mail.
Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News. Also read a story about the history of voting in America that began with a voice vote at the courthouse and now often uses a digital tablet.
In recognition of National Adoption Awareness Month this November, Texas Community Counseling and the Heart Gallery of Northwest Texas are partnering to bring resources to Montague County families.
The two organizations will host an adoption, foster care and kinship care resource fair on Nov. 14 at the United Presbyterian Church of Montague County Fellowship Hall, located at 300 W. Nelson St. in Bowie.
The resource fair will run from 10 a.m. to noon, bringing together local agencies and service providers to answer questions and share information about support available within the county.
Read the full story in the Thursday Bowie News.
Members of the Montague County Historical Commission invite the community to join them on Nov. 14 for a Rolling Bus Tour.
This tour will cover the cemeteries in the south west corner of Montague County. You will have the opportunity to stroll through some of the cemeteries, others the bus will stop and Commission member Calvin Durham will tell the history of the cemetery.
The bus tour will meet at the Old Jail in Montague at 9 a.m. and return at approximately 3 p.m. The tour will include a sack lunch, a brochure of each cemetery visited and a book “This Soil will Grow Grapes” written by Melvin Fenoglio.
The cost of the tour is $20 for adults. There is no charge for children under 12. The commission members strive to preserve the history of the county and to share as much of it as possible with our citizens. You can RSVP by calling 940-841-2674 or 940-872-1007. Please leave a message with your name if there is no answer.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), will conduct a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System at 1:20 p.m. on Nov. 17.
FEMA’s emergency alert system is a national public warning system made up of thousands of radio, TV, cable and satellite and wireline video providers. Through the EAS, the President can address the American people or share life-saving information with the public during a national emergency.
FEMA is required by law to conduct a nationwide test of the public alert and warning system at least once every three years. These tests allow FEMA to identify technical or operational issues before the system is needed during an actual emergency.
FEMA and the FCC are sharing the test date in advance because it is important the public understands what to expect on the day of the test.
At approximately 1:20 p.m. (Central time), on Nov. 17, all the electronics providers will interrupt normal programming to relay a test message.
This message will state: This is a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System, issued by the Federal Emergency management Agency, covering the United States from 1:20 to 1:50 p.m. This is only a test. No action is required by the public.”
When the test is concluded, normal programming will resume.
FEMA and the FCC are coordinating with stakeholders, including participating communications providers as well as federal, state, tribal and territorial agencies to prepare for and conduct the test.
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