Terry County Commissioners Court held a regularly scheduled meeting on the morning of October 28, 2024. The main topic was the appointment of a central counting station for the upcoming election on November 5.
The Court began with the invocation and pledges, then moved to the agenda items. There was no public comment. The minutes from the previous meeting were approved, as well as the payment of county bills. The meeting also included a presentation from a First National Bank Investments representative based in Wichita Falls, Texas.
The Court reviewed and considered the approval of a process to conduct a public hearing regarding the abandonment and vacation of County Road (CR) 610. This road extends from FM 402, located 12.5 miles southwest of Brownfield and three miles northwest of Wellman, to the east. CR 610 has not been maintained for decades. According to Precinct 4 Commissioner Earnesto Elizardo, the section of CR 610 from FM 402 to the east is approximately 700 feet, or just over a tenth of a mile, before it dead-ends. The property owner has requested action to prevent people from driving onto CR 610 and turning around. The Court has moved to approve the process, and County Judge Tony Serbantez will gather more information in order to schedule the hearing in the future.
Southwest Cotton Growers Gin (SWCG) in Wellman is seeking approval for an application related to soil conservation work. The property in question is described as Block DD, Section 16, NE, 40 acres of the E/2 Block/Tract DD, totaling 40 acres. It is located approximately three-quarters of a mile east of US Hwy 62/385 on County Road 630 in Wellman. SWCG requires this land to be cleared for additional cotton modules, as the current terrain is not flat enough to accommodate them. The Court has approved the application, and Precinct 4 will handle the soil conservation work. SWCG will cover the costs associated with this work.
The Court moved on to item #7 which Review and consider approving: Discussing and appointing the Central Counting Station for the November 5th, 2024 General Election. On October 24, 2024 Krystal Valentin, the Terry County Joint Elections Administrator had recieved information about a rumor that was placed on social media and how the voting machine was changing votes. Valentin contacted the Texas Secretary of State’s (SOS) office to recieve protocal on what to do. Valentin then put out this statement:
We are aware that social media has informed voter that voting machines are changing votes and you should ask for a receipt to show how you nave voted. The voting machines used by Terry County are certified by the State of Texas and do not create a receipt. Additionally, Terry County follows the policies and laws for the State of Texas to ensure voter privacy is maintained, and per those policies and law, we cannot create a receipt indicating the substance of your vote.
The Terry County Commissioner’s Court are scheduled to meet on Monday, October 28, 2024 and will appoint a Central Counting Station during their meeting. The paper ballot you deposited will be counted by the Central Counting Station on Election Night to ensure voter’s votes are counted as they have been marked on the ballots. If any discrepancies are found or if the precinct counters are not properly working, the Central Counting Station will move to hand counting the Terry County ballots for the November 5, 2024 General Election.
The Elections Office had already transitioned to paper ballots before this statement was released, as the counting machine was not accepting the ballots used by voters with the computers. This change began on the first day of early voting, Monday, October 21st, around mid-morning. As a result, Valentin decided to use paper ballots, ensuring that the counting machine would function properly.
According to the Secretary of State (SOS), a Central Counting Station (CCS) is the designated location on election night where ballots are counted, vote totals are compiled, precinct returns are finalized, and unofficial election results are produced. This process differs from counting ballots at individual precincts on Election Day.
Valentin informed the court that the ballot board would start counting early in-person and mail-in votes at 10:00 AM on Election Day. In the event of any issues or if the counting machine malfunctions, the CCS will switch to hand counting the ballots.
The Court approved of the CCS and those who will be on it:
- Central Counting Station Manager – Crissy Franco
- Central Counting Station Tabulation Supervisor – Krystal Valentin
- Central Counting Station Judge – Sarah Martinez
- Central Counting Station Alternate Judge – Ofelia Davis
- Central Counting Station Clerk – Raquel Perry
- Central Counting Station Clerk – Scott Jackson
The other business items left were to receive funds from the Gaines County Appraisal District on 2024 taxes to permanent school fund land. The Court also chose another roofing company for the Terry County Law Enforcement Center because the original bidder needed the material to do the work. The meeting was adjourned.
