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The Colorado County Commissioners Court approved an intent to participate in the Countywide Polling Place Program and reviewed changes to early voting during its meeting, Monday, Nov. 24.
County Election Administrator Rebecka LaCourse presented the court with the intent to participate in the program. For the most recent election, over a third of Texas’ counties were approved to use the Countywide Polling Place Program, according to the Texas Secretary of State’s Office. The Colorado County Elections Board discussed the matter two weeks prior due to recent legislative changes.
“Countywide voting is where you can go to any polling location to vote,” LaCourse said. “You’re not precinct-specific, which means you don’t need to go to where you’re assigned on Election Day.”
Four precincts comprise Colorado County, and three precincts converge in the county seat of Columbus. LaCourse explained with precinct-specific voting, some voters have to travel beyond their closest polling place due to precinct boundaries. She also reported that her office in Columbus had to send 134 voters in the most recent election to their correct polling location.
“The consensus from the meeting from the Election Board was frankly that it just made sense maybe to think about county wide because [of] our communities,” County Judge Ty Prause, a member of the board, said. “Everybody works and drives in all the towns surrounding normally all the polling places. For that given period, they can stop anywhere and vote.”
LaCourse said the county is “going to try” to do five polling locations for the upcoming primary election with one at each end of the county and a location each for Columbus, Weimar and Eagle Lake. Whether doing countywide or precinct- specific voting, LaCourse said that Frelsburg Fire Station and Nada Community Center near Garwood will serve as polling locations.
“We made that change, getting it back to Nada Hall instead of the school,” Prause said. “…There were issues with the school that just didn’t coalesce with voting. For instance, if they have a lockdown, if they have an emergency, traffic flows, et cetera.”
LaCourse addressed concerns over the security of countywide voting, specifically making sure voters submit the correct ballots for their precinct. She said that the county started programming ballot technology to account for various voting districts when the county began managing elections for local political subdivisions.
“The equipment does take care of whatever is necessary for that particular voter, whether it be a precinct issue, a city issue, a water district issue, et cetera,” LaCourse said.
Precinct 3 Commissioner Keith Neuendorff voiced a reservation that countywide voting could be rescinded with future legislation. La-Course recognized that bills to remove the program have been frequently introduced in past legislative sessions.
“I am comfortable this time bringing it to y’all because there was a huge pushback the last legislative session when it was last brought back up…because logistically, it was better for voters and better for our financials for the county,” LaCourse said. “… [Rescinding the program] is not as likely to happen as it was previously.”
LaCourse also introduced changes to voting in Colorado County for the upcoming primary election on March 3, 2026. Senate Bill 2753 from the most recent legislative session removes the four-day gap between early voting and Election Day. Early voting for November elections will begin the 12th day before Election Day; for May elections, the 9th day before.
The bill also requires early voting to be conducted on weekends and holidays for a period of at least nine hours each day. On the last four days of the voting period, polling locations must be open for 12 consecutive hours with the exception of nine hours on Sunday. LaCourse said a major concern for the county with this change to early voting is the commitment demanded by volunteer poll workers.
“With the new Senate bill being such a long days plus long consecutive days of a period for people to volunteer to be judges, that presented even more issues to, we think, contend with in the future, making it harder,” Prause said.
The countywide voting efforts stem from recent legislative changes that removed a restrictive measure on the Countywide Polling Program. Senate Bill 985, passed in the most recent legislative session, rolled back a 2023 law that increased the minimum number of required polling locations for counties in the program. Votebeat, a nonpartisan news organization focused on elections and voting, reported that many counties struggled to fund, staff and equip the new, mandated polling locations.
Given the change, the court asked LaCourse about the cost difference between the Countywide Polling Program and precinct-specific voting. LaCourse said costs mainly depend on staffing locations, which will look very different under the program and with the new early voting changes.
“We have tried to reduce the amount that elections costs by splitting shifts for the workers when possible, and… that’s help drastically,” La-Course said. “But as far as apples to apples, I really couldn’t tell you because it’s a different model.”
Prause added that countywide voting will decrease the cost of ordering thousands of preprinted ballots specific to each voting district. After the election, the excess preprinted ballots have to be destroyed, “just like burning money.” With countywide voting, the ballot machines will print the ballot needed for the voter.
LaCourse clarified that the court’s approval applies to simply filing the intent to participate in the program. Prause reported that the Elections Board unanimously voted to recommend authorizing the filing. The court then unanimously approved the filing.
“It’s a long process,” La-Course said. “There’s a lot of paperwork, but this is the start of it.”
