Presidential candidates trek to Texas; early voting begins Tuesday
Get ready, Texans.
Not only do you start casting ballots Tuesday, but also presidential candidates — or people speaking on their behalf — are on their way to Texas.
Few details are available, but Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton heads to Houston on Saturday, and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, will be in Dallas and Laredo Monday.
And that’s just the start.
On the Republican side, the Feb. 25 GOP presidential debate at The University of Houston is expected to bring Texas a windfall of Republican presidential campaign events.
“Texas is the championship rodeo belt buckle on Super Tuesday primary day with a major chunk of delegates available,” said Brandon Rottinghaus, an associate professor of political science at the University of Houston. “All of the candidates in the field need those delegates and will likely pay a visit here to rally voters in areas of the state where they are strong.
“With the debate in Houston, the candidates are likely to stay around for a day or so, some raising money and some holding rallies, and some both.”
On the ballot is not only the hotly contested presidential contest, but also congressional, legislative, judicial and local races, as well as a handful of referendums for both the Democratic and Republican parties.
Statewide, 14.1 million people — including more than 1 million in Tarrant County alone — are registered to vote, state and local election records show.
Early voting for the March 1 primary runs through Feb. 26.
It’s your chance
This is the chance for Texans — who have listened for months as candidates talked about why they should be chosen for public office — to respond with their vote.
Political observers say anyone who doesn’t vote is leaving the choice of key leadership positions, from president of the United States to Tarrant County Constable, to others.
“What did the founding fathers dream for America?” asked Jim Riddlesperger, a political science professor at Texas Christian University. “An America where everyone participated.
“African Americans fought for generations to vote. Women weren’t able to vote until a century ago,” he said. “If you’re not voting for yourself, vote for the many people who literally laid their lives on the line so you could vote.”
But Texans aren’t the only ones weighing in right now.
This weekend, Republicans make their pick in South Carolina’s caucus, and Nevada voters cast ballots as well.
Then on March 1, more than a dozen southern states — including Texas — will cast their votes on a day now known as Super Tuesday.
Weather isn’t expected to hamper voting, at least over the next week or so, said Matt Stalley, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Fort Worth.
“As far as we can tell, it will be fairly dry with temperatures near or above normal,” he said.
But this is Texas — and the weather can change on a dime.
If cold or bad weather blows into Texas, election officials are prepared.
“We have contingency plans if there’s bad weather that knocks out electricity,” said Frank Phillips, Tarrant County’s election administrator.
Anna Tinsley: 817-390-7610, @annatinsley
To learn more information about candidates on the March 1 ballot, check out the online Star-Telegram Voter Guide.
EARLY VOTING SITES
Early voting for the March 1 primary election runs through Feb. 26: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Friday; 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday; 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Locations
Tarrant County Elections Center, 2700 Premier St., Fort Worth. This is the main early voting site. Emergency and limited ballots are available there.
All Saints Catholic Church Parish Hall, 200 NW 20th St.
Arlington Subcourthouse, 700 E. Abram St.
Asia Times Square, 2615 W. Pioneer Parkway, Grand Prairie
Bedford Public Library, 2424 Forest Ridge Drive
Benbrook Community Center, 228 San Angelo Ave.
B.J. Clark Annex, Room 4, 603 Southeast Parkway, Azle
Bob Duncan Center, 2800 S. Center St., Arlington
Center for Community Service Junior League of Arlington, 4002 W. Pioneer Parkway, Arlington
Colleyville City Hall, 100 Main St.
Crowley Community Center, 900 E. Glendale St.
Dan Echols Center, 6801 Glenview Dr., North Richland Hills
Diamond Hill/Jarvis Branch Library, 1300 NE 35th St., Fort Worth
Eagle Mountain-Saginaw school district Administration Building 6, Training Room, 1200 Old Decatur Road, Saginaw
Euless Public Library, 201 N. Ector Drive
Elzie Odom Athletic Center, 1601 NE Green Oaks Blvd., Arlington
Forest Hill Civic and Convention Center, 6901 Wichita St., Forest Hill
The REC of Grapevine, 1175 Municipal Way
Griffin Subcourthouse, 3212 Miller Ave., Fort Worth
Haltom City Northeast Center, 3201 Friendly Lane
Handley/Meadowbrook Community Center, 6201 Beaty St., Fort Worth
Hurst Recreation Center, 700 Mary Drive
James Avenue Service Center, 5001 James Ave.
JPS Health Center Viola M. Pitts/Como, Lower Level, Suite 100, 4701 Bryant Irvin Road N.
Keller Town Hall, 1100 Bear Creek Parkway
Kennedale Community Center, 316 W. Third St.
Lake Park Operations Center, 5610 Lake Ridge Parkway, Grand Prairie
Mansfield Subcourthouse, 1100 E. Broad St.
Northeast Courthouse, Bear Creek Community Room, 645 Grapevine Highway, Hurst
Sheriff's Office North Patrol Division, 6651 Lake Worth Blvd., Lake Worth
Southlake Town Hall, 1400 Main St.
South Service Center, 1100 SW Green Oaks Blvd., Arlington
Southside Community Center, 959 E. Rosedale St., Fort Worth
Southwest Community Center, 6300 Welch Ave.
Southwest Subcourthouse, 6551 Granbury Road, Fort Worth
Summerglen Branch Library, 4205 Basswood Blvd.
Tarrant County College Southeast Campus, EMB- C Portable Building, 2100 Southeast Parkway, Arlington
Tarrant County Plaza Building, 201 Burnett St.
Villages of Woodland Springs Amenity Center, 12209 Timberland Blvd., Fort Worth (Note: This location is closed on Saturday)
White Settlement Public Library, 8215 White Settlement Road
Worth Heights Community Center, 3551 New York Ave., Fort Worth
Temporary sites
Several temporary early voting sites have special days and hours. They are:
▪ 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Thursday: Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Naylor Student Center, 1900 W. Boyce Ave.; Texas Wesleyan University, Brown-Lupton Student Center, 1109 South Collard St.; UNT Health Science Center, Carl E. Everett Education and Administration Building, 3500 Camp Bowie Blvd.
▪ 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Feb. 22-25: Tarrant County College Northeast Campus, Student Center NSTU 1506, 828 Harwood Road, Hurst; Northwest Campus, Theater Lobby, 4801 Marine Creek Parkway, Fort Worth; South Campus, 5301 Campus Drive, Fort Worth.
▪ 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Feb. 22-26: UTA, Maverick Activities Center, 500 W. Nedderman Drive, Arlington; TCU, Brown-Lupton University Union, 2901 Stadium Drive.
Source: Tarrant County Elections Office
This story was originally published February 15, 2016 at 4:23 PM with the headline "Presidential candidates trek to Texas; early voting begins Tuesday."