Notice of Ballot Draw

Notice of Ballot Draw

Notice is hereby given of a drawing to determine the order in which the names of candidates are to be printed on the ballot for the election to be held on March 1, 2016, in the Republican Primary of Bastrop County, Texas. The drawing will be held at 10:00 a.m. on December 19, 2015, at Republican Headquarters, 1109 Main St., Bastrop, Texas.

Albert L. Ellison, Chairman
Bastrop County Republican Party

Candidate Filing

Candidate filing for public or party office closes December 14, 2015, at 6:00 p.m.

Candidates may file applications to appear on the Republican primary ballot with the Bastrop County Republican Chairman from 9am to 6pm on December 14, 2015, at the following location:

Republican Headquarters
1109 Main St
Bastrop, TX 78602

If you need to make special arrangements for filing, you may contact the chairman at 512-796-4560.

Albert L. Ellison, Chairman
Bastrop County Republican Party

Runoff Election Info

Bastrop County’s runoff election schedule has been established as follows:

Early Voting

• Feb 9-12, Mon-Thur, 8am to 5pm
• Feb 13, Fri, 7am to 7pm
• Locations:
• Bastrop County Courthouse Annex - 804 Pecan, Bastrop
• Smithville City Hall - 317 Main St, Smithville
• Cedar Creek United Methodist Church - 5630 FM 535, Cedar Creek
• Elgin Public Library - 404 N Main St, Elgin
• You may vote at any of these locations during early voting.

Election Day

• Feb 17, Tues, 7am to 7pm
• Locations:
• Calvary Baptist Church: voting precincts 1001-1004, 2009 and 2011
  3001 Loop 150 E, Bastrop (across from entrance to Bastrop State Park)
• Smithville City Hall: voting precincts 2005 to 2008, and 2010
  317 Main St, Smithville
• Cedar Creek United Methodist Church: voting precincts 3012-3016
  5630 FM 535, Cedar Creek
• Elgin Public Library: voting precincts 4017-4021
  404 N Main St, Elgin
• You must vote at the location designated for your voting precinct if you choose to vote on election day.

If none of these times or locations are convenient to you, you may submit an application to vote by mail. Such applications must be received by the county by Feb 6.

The issue on the ballot is the runoff election for the House District 17 race. The following names will appear on the Bastrop County ballot in the following order:
John Cyrier
Brent Golemon

Full details are available at www.bastropvotes.org or call Bastrop County Elections at 512-581-7160.

Albert L. Ellison, Chairman
Bastrop County Republican Party

Meeting Jan 26 in Elgin

Bastrop County Republicans will meet Monday, January 26, at 7:00 p.m. at First National Bank in Elgin at 1312 Hwy 290 (intersection of Hwys 95 N and 290 E).

Candidates in the State Representative race are welcome to speak a few minutes to those in attendance. We do not yet have a runoff schedule ordered by the Governor’s office, that I am aware of, but expect one at any time now. When it comes, things will move quickly, so make sure you keep watch on the e-mail channels.

Under consideration right now are the following election arrangements:
• there is expected to be a week of early voting, which will be available M-Th 8am to 5pm, and Fri from 7am to 7pm (or whatever the last day of early voting ends up being)(dates not yet known)
• early voting locations are expected to be Bastrop County Courthouse, Elgin Public Library, Smithville City Hall, and Cedar Creek United Methodist Church
• election day voting is expected to be conducted 7am to 7pm (date not yet known) at the following locations:
o Calvary Baptist Church (for those in voting precincts 1001-4, 2011, and 2009)
o Smithville City Hall (for those in voting precincts 2005-2008 and 2010)
o Cedar Creek United Methodist Church (for those in voting precincts 3012-3016)
o Elgin Public Library (for those in voting precincts 4017-4021)
• Notices of where to vote will be posted at all polling locations not in use 10 days before election day
These details will not be formalized until after the Governor calls the election, but that is what I have reason to believe will occur.

But back to the meeting announcement – we have much to do to kick off the new year, and what should officially be the start of the 2016 presidential-election cycle. And since it is now a new year, all of our membership dues for 2015 are now due.

The meeting is open to the public, and light refreshments will be served. Hope to see you there!

Albert L. Ellison, Chairman
Bastrop County Republican Party

Polling Location Selection

There has been a unique amount of reaction after the Special Election to the polling-selection process in Bastrop County. Some of that reaction is due to misinformation about the selection process itself, and some is the usual constructive feedback that comes when people see a weakness in the system. Because I am one player in the polling-selection process, this e-mail is sent from my perspective in an effort to help clear the air a bit. Please excuse its length, but I am attempting to address a series of concerns already in the public domain.

How did polling locations get selected this special election?

When the Governor called the special election, both party chairs met jointly with the County’s Elections Administrator in December to discuss consolidation of polls and other related administrative issues for the special election and any resulting runoff. The initial proposal approved by both party chairs was to have a single early vote location, and four election-day locations. The basis for consolidating polls at all was that turnout county-wide was expected to be low (compared to a general election), and having one location per voting precinct would not be cost-effective. Additionally, the Elections Administrator was understandably concerned that she would not be able to recruit the election staff she needed for more locations because of the holidays and short time frame to recruit. Historically, anytime we consolidate polls in a runoff or Constitutional Amendment election, we consolidate to four locations – one per commissioner’s precinct, and have not had any significant feedback that such an arrangement disserves the voters. I left the meeting and sent out a general email on this list that included all the known election details, including the fact that we had one early vote location and four election day locations under consideration. No one replied to ask for more locations.

After our meeting, the Elections Administrator then began discussing the proposal with elected officials, and she received the input that one early vote location was insufficient. Judge Paul Pape particularly encouraged her to expand early voting to four locations. Concerned she wouldn’t be able to meet that staffing demand, she contacted me for my feedback on Judge Pape’s (and perhaps others’) proposal to expand. I gave her the feedback that, from a candidate’s point of view (of any stripe), they are concerned that too much consolidation will limit participation and further hamper their ability to turn out their supporters. If we were to limit early voting to a single location, we would need to do so only with unanimity of opinion, and since we were already getting pushback, we needed to try to accomplish expanding the early vote locations notwithstanding the holidays. It was my view that at the end of a high-tension election, we wouldn’t want the issue to be about administration. The Elections Administrator apparently took that advice, and found she was able to raise the election staff.

Judge Pape then formalized the polling location designations in a proclamation. By our Republican Party Christmas social on Dec 18, we were able to announce the number and locations of our polls. Both Republican candidates were present and seemed visibly approving, as I made the announcement, of the arrangements, particularly that early voting had expanded to four locations. Again, after the announcement, no candidate or voter expressed to me the view that we had selected too few locations.

Can notice of polling locations be improved?

Yes. The county publishes the locations in several forms both electronic and in print, and are available by phone to help direct any voter. No matter what you do, there is always going to be a level of frustration among voters who do not find out in advance where they need to go, or have difficulty locating an information source. But given that, discussions are already under way to evaluate the information publication process and see how it can be improved. The county has given much attention to this issue in the development of their bastropvotes.org website, but this election is giving valuable feedback as to its weaknesses, and other non-internet sources that might be needed.

It has been asked why our usual voting locations didn’t all have signs directing voters to where they need to vote. First, the question belies a misconception: that we have 20 guaranteed election locations across the county. Every election we must contract with facilities for elections, those facilities must meet certain requirements, and most of the facilities we use are private properties. There is therefore always the potential every election that facilities will shift, and we don’t necessarily have the right to paper up their facilities with signage in elections where they have not agreed to host (but few, if any, would actually raise an objection because they are just gracious that way). So, you the voter don’t necessarily have a right to a sign on a location that you assumed would be in service, but for whatever reason, isn’t (and even when law requires it, you shouldn't rely upon that).

Having said that, because none of our hosts are balking right now, it makes sense to me to try to get such signage up where we can. The Elections Administrator determined that she did not have the staff resources to send them all across the county to post signage at every location. She instead prioritized the seven locations that represent the higher traffic/population, leaving nine locations without signs. Often in primary/general elections, because the party apparatus is more centrally involved than in a special election, the party volunteers of both parties get involved in helping cover issues like these to lighten the load of the county staff. Our Republican precinct chairs often help with signage issues. In the compression of this election, that base didn’t get covered as well as we have in the past. Curiously, much of the consternation appears to be that Paige Community Center was one of the nine locations without a sign. But I am informed by Shari Wyatt, the Republican Precinct Chair for that location, that she of her own initiative went and hung a sign at the Community Center herself, so it should not have ever been without one.

During the course of election day, a candidate discovered a need to get signs at the remaining locations and committed volunteers to help get that done, and it was done (albeit not until about 3pm in some locations). As stated before, it is normal for the party organizations to step up and help fill needs like that, so I think it is only the candidate’s newness to operations at this level that caused the candidate to feel that something was extremely amiss that volunteers would need to help out. The candidate felt on election day, that the Elections Administrator should have dispatched staff immediately to get that job done. I disagree. There are only three staff at the elections office, and every hand is needed on deck to answer the calls of voters and election judges administering elections at the polling locations.

I think a county take away is that we in the administration process can improve our communication mediums. Hopefully, a take away for the voter is that they are better served taking some initiative in advance to confirm their polling location before trekking to an assumed poll. I understand some tried some methods only to not find what they needed. But operators are always standing by when the polls are open. A telephone call is a great method to get a quick answer if all else fails.

The power of miscommunication

An element that has made the reaction to polling locations this election particularly unusual was a very unfortunate miscommunication on the eve of election day from the Bastrop Democrat Party. Their chairman apparently forgot that we had discussed in December that only four locations would be used on election day, and he informed his party there would be 20 locations. When they discovered the number was only four, the chairman, still not remembering the prior discussion, suggested that the Elections Administrator had unilaterally decided to close 16 of the locations the day before the election. An urgent e-mail went out to their party advising them of the sudden change and encouraging them to contact the Elections Administrator and elected officials if the voters were unhappy about that sudden change. Predictably, outrage side-swiped the Election Administrator on election day in the middle of her trying to administer her election day duties. She reminded the Democrat Chairman of the substance of our discussion, and he apologetically acknowledged his error. But by then, perception that something was amiss was already seeded among many voters. (I’m throwing no rocks here, just reporting what happened, and am humbly aware of my own e-mailed mis-statements during the course of this very election that fortunately had far fewer consequences.)

Rest assured that elections administration is a thoughtful and deliberative process. No one is vested with authority or power to unilaterally close 16 locations the day before an election. What was alleged wasn’t even possible. And after every election is a review to determine how we can improve.

Were election locations intentionally manipulated to the advantage of some candidate?

No. Another element that has made the reaction to polling locations unusually large is the accusation by a non-Republican candidate that Judge Pape unilaterally closed 16 locations so as to benefit the candidate of his choice. That theory is remarkably short on analysis of how limiting locations helps anyone in particular. The locations proposal originated with the Elections Administrator and party chairmen, not Judge Pape. To my knowledge, Judge Pape’s only input was to increase locations, not decrease them. Also, I do not believe the Democrat Chair would support an administrative plan that patently and disproportionately benefited a Republican candidate. Instead, in choosing four locations, we used the same predictable consolidated locations we usually use in low-turnout elections. We have used that plan for years, which plan had always also been supported by prior Democrat County Judge Ronnie McDonald, so there is no nefarious Republican plot afoot. From my perspective, there was nothing surprising, alarming, or unusual in what we chose to do.

Now, as to moving forward:

Should locations increase for the special election runoff?

I think not. Communication proved difficult during the special election, and changing locations now will only increase, rather than decrease, voter confusion. A candidate has suggested we open an additional polling location in Paige for the runoff. But to what extent are we able to communicate with all those Paige voters who just voted at Smithville City Hall that, this time, they are now all supposed to vote closer to home? I think if we flinch at this point, we do more damage to voters than good. I think allowing an early-voting day to stay open until 7pm would be a better service to voters than moving the ball once more.

Our county had the highest number of early vote locations (most other counties in the House district having 1 or 2), and the fewest number of election day locations (the max being 10 in this district). Nevertheless, we achieved just over 10% voter participation. That was a higher percentage of turnout than any other participating county. I do not therefore see a correlation that our consolidation plan resulted in voter suppression that needs to be cured for the runoff.

I am open to a review of our polling-location consolidation plan, but not to location changes in the middle of this particular election.

How should we consolidate in the future?

Consolidation only occurs in low-turnout elections. It is never even considered for Primaries or General Elections. When we expect the public to engage an election, we don’t even do a financial review, we just seek to get a location in every voting precinct where feasible.

Never before has the electorate expressed that they were disserved by consolidated voting at four precincts in a low-turnout election. And we have done this for years. Nevertheless, if there is a growing sentiment that it does not serve, I would appreciate input on what measuring stick we should use instead. What would suggest a need for a location above our standard four?

There is the issue of distance. Some argue, “I shouldn’t have to drive 15 miles to a poll.” So how far is too far, particularly for outlying communities where they must drive a distance for any other aspect of life? The fact that we have a location in every quadrant of the county limits everyone’s maximum exposure to travel. This election we had everyone from each Commissioner’s Precinct vote at their Precinct’s designated location, with two exceptions: Voting Precincts 2011 and 2009 were designated to vote at the Precinct 1 location due to their closer proximity to it than to Smithville City Hall. But even where we made that distance concession to voters, we still, this election cycle, received the complaint that the exception was confusing to some.

There is also the issue of cost. What cost is too much to expend on a low-turnout location? Paige Community Center was offered as an example of where we needed to expand. Because of boundary lines, it would only benefit those who live south of Paige, so I’m assuming not all those frustrated would benefit from such a plan. It would cost at least $1,248 in election staff salary to open it (3 workers x 52 hours x $8 per hour). If that voting precinct turned out at a rate of 10% in a low-turnout election (such as this one), you would have around 110 voters. We would have spent $11.35 per voter to collect those ballots locally rather than require them to drive to Smithville. Is that a good use of taxpayer money?

So if our four Commissioners Precincts and major municipalities are not a natural division that makes sense to the voters for consolidation, in the end, there needs to be some means of measuring when and whether it is appropriate to have an additional consolidated location.

Expanding consolidated precincts is not a new consideration. In 2006, under our prior Elections Administrator Nora Cano, we experimented for several election cycles with increasing consolidated locations to 10 in low-turnout elections (which included a Paige location when its territorial boundary benefitted those both north and south of Paige). What we found is that we dramatically increased the cost of elections without impacting participation much at all. I’m sure we improved some voter convenience, but the final conclusion was that with little increase in participation to speak of, it wasn’t worth the cost.

Voter frustration is not voter disenfranchisement

There appears to be a sentiment among some that if a voter is frustrated or inconvenienced, the election was administered poorly, and voters were suppressed or disenfranchised. There isn’t necessarily a correlation. Every election, when all precincts have a polling location, I always hear from angry voters who had to pass one voting location to cast a ballot at their own location. So having full election locations open is not a magic cure to voter dissatisfaction. Inconvenience is not disenfranchisement. Disenfranchisement is the denial of your right to vote, or its substantial equivalent. Having to drive further than you want, needing a ride, or being uncertain of where to go is nothing new, and does not deny a voter their right. Ballot by mail is a great tool designed specifically to allow someone to vote in their home. Early voting is a tool designed to open locations and times for voting, and allows you to vote at any open location. Opportunities to vote abound, and it usually requires some pro-activity on the part of the voter to effectively engage the process.

Election administration is a lot of work. As an election concludes, there is a noticeable sense of satisfaction from everyone involved from all political stripes when voters participate. For all that work, we want people to vote, and don’t engage in intentionally hiding the ball for our own twisted ends. We listen each election cycle to people’s frustrations, and try to pro-actively plan to diminish those frustrations as much as feasibly possible. If something has frustrated you about elections, let us know, and we’ll see what we can do.

Synopsis

Our election staff worked diligently in a compressed time frame, servicing more locations than was their original inclination, with a good attitude throughout. They worked through their holiday time, and did a phenomenal job managing in weeks what they usually have months to accomplish. The election was planned according to our County’s historical norms, and was executed very well under the circumstances. This Special Election process is new to all of us and requires an added measure of patience as we work together to administer it properly.

Misinformation and newness to the process heightened tensions right at the end, but our ears are open to hear any input that helps us better balance the service to the voters, the needs of the candidates, the money of the taxpayers, and the resources of our Elections Administration office.

Albert L. Ellison, Chairman
Bastrop County Republican Party

GREAT CHRISTMAS GIFT!!! 3 CHANCES TO WIN!

Handmade Cedar Bench *** CHANCES! CHANCES!! CHANCES!!!



Three (3) chances for $10.00

Purchase online: Go to the Main GOP page, TAB: Party Info, Scroll down to Donations: *{IMPORTANT, note after your occupation {Bench}, so we know to enter your chances into the drawing for you}*

Drawing is on December 18, 2014 at the GOP Joint Social meeting.

Other ways to purchase chances besides online: Contact prechair2005@hotmail.com or purchase at GOP Headquarters.


Bench is on display at the GOP Headquarters: 1109 Main Street, Bastrop

Dimensions: approx. 6 ft long, 24 inches high
Handmade, beautiful cedar wood

Where do I vote on election day?

In Bastrop County, you must vote in the voting precinct in which you reside on election day. For a list of election-day voting locations click here.

To determine what voting precinct you live in, either look it up on your voter registration card, or to use the online lookup, click here. After entering the first and last name under which you are registered, and your date of birth, scroll down to find the four digit number beside "Precinct." That corresponds to the precinct numbers for each polling location on the above list.

Polls will be open from 7am to 7pm on election day. Photo ID will be required to vote.

Albert L. Ellison, Chairman
Bastrop County Republican Party

VOTE! This is your tool kit to fixing a broken system! It is the FIRST major step in accessing what needs fixed! Failure to start at this crucial step first will only result more damage!

Early Voting: Now thru October 31
Election Day: November 4

Sample Ballots by precinct - http://www.bastropvotes.org/election-information-2/sample-ballots/

Early Voting Locations, Dates, Times: http://www.bastropvotes.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Early-Voting-Schedule2.pdf

Be sure and look at Proposition 1 = This is a tricky one***** Please tread carefully....remember the mobility amendment we voted for and ended up with the Trans Texas Corridor , Toll roads + as an added side the National Animal Identification (which I believe was no accident)
Info for an informed decision:

Amendment reads: “The constitutional amendment providing for the use and dedication of certain money transferred to the state highway fund to assist in the completion of transportation construction, maintenance, and rehabilitation projects, not to include toll roads.” That is all you are going to get on your ballot. So to research the issue further, here are some resources:

http://www.lrl.state.tx.us/scanned/Constitutional_Amendments/amendments83_HRO_2014-11-04.pdf
http://www.lrl.state.tx.us/scanned/Constitutional_Amendments/amendments83_TLC_2014-11-04.pdf
http://ballotpedia.org/Texas_Transportation_Funding_Amendment,_Proposition_1_(2014)
http://www.sos.state.tx.us/about/newsreleases/2014/082014.shtml
http://votesmart.org/elections/ballot-measure/1953/transportation-funding-ammendment#.VER7kPldWSo
http://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/833/billtext/pdf/HJ00001H.pdf#navpanes=0
Source: http://www.legis.state.tx.us/BillLookup/Text.aspx?LegSess=833&Bill=HJR1#
http://www.hro.house.state.tx.us/pdf/focus/amend83a.pdf
http://amarillo.com/news/latest-news/2014-10-18/2014-election-guide-lawmakers-urge-voters-support-prop-1

*** Note the Judges races....Justice starts on the local level.......we need good Constitutional Judges!

VOTER Guides!!! Remember each guide is based on that groups principles....please take into consideration an over all opinion!
League of Woman Voters - http://www.lwvtexas.org/voters%20guide/2014gevg/gevg2014.pdf

Interested in Bastrop GOP Meeting Schedule? BCRP usually meets the 4th Monday of the Month, next meetings:
Next meeting October 27, Bastrop First National Bank, Bastrop
For more info contact: Chairman Albert Ellison - 512 - 796-4560
Republican Woman President Christine Fox 512- 988-9177 (usually meets the 3rd Thursday)

Handmade Cedar Bench *** CHANCES! CHANCES!! CHANCES!!!

Three (3) chances for $10.00

Purchase online: Go to the Main GOP page, TAB: Party Info, Scroll down to Donations: *{IMPORTANT, note after your occupation {Bench}, so we know to enter your chances into the drawing for you}*

Drawing is on December 18, 2014 at the GOP Joint Social meeting.

Other ways to purchase chances besides online: Contact prechair2005@hotmail.com or purchase at GOP Headquarters.
Look for the Republican Party at the Hogeye Festival this Saturday October 25.

Bench is on display at the GOP Headquarters: 1109 Main Street, Bastrop

Dimensions: approx. 6 ft long, 24 inches high
Handmade, beautiful cedar wood

Hogeye Festival Saturday 10/25 - Be sure and stop by the Republican GOP Booth

October 25, 2014
Hogeye Festival: The annual Hogeye Festival is for the entire family and features food, kids activities, handmade arts and crafts, live music on two stages and plenty of pig puns to go around.
Also included are the Lindsy Kay Wing Children's Pet Parade, Road Hog Car Show, Gordon Swenson Memorial BBQ Pork-Off, Carnival, Cow Patty Bingo, Hogalicious Dessert Contest and last but not least, the crowning of King Hog or Queen Sowpreme.
Set in Historic Downtown Elgin, this is an event you will want to come back to year after year.
For more information or to register for any of the events listed go to Hogeye Festival and select the form(s) you need.

STOP BY the BOOTH we will have:
Candidate signs
Candidate push cards
tickets for the handmade cedar bench
Constitution playing cards
And more..............

How to Fight for Liberty

Early voting opens Monday, but voting is not enough to achieve our goals this election cycle. We need a team of volunteers working the next two weeks to encourage conservatives to go VOTE. Will you join that team?

Over the next two weeks, the Abbott campaign will e-mail you a daily call list comprised of Bastrop County voters that the campaign has already identified as being Abbott supporters. Our job will be to call and remind them to go vote, and to vote straight-party Republican. Such a message helps all our candidates. Each day, the list will be purged of all voters who have already voted, so that the new list you receive will be limited to those who have not yet voted. This project is done on your schedule, from your home, to whatever extent you are able. Fighting for liberty couldn’t be simpler.

Democrats have unleashed an army of paid workers on Texas funded in large part by out-of-state donations. They are intent on fundamentally changing Texas so that it is as broken as the rest of the country. We must match their effort with volunteer patriots working because they believe in protecting their freedoms.

All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing. This is your fight. Will you join me in doing what it takes to preserve and advance liberty in Texas and Bastrop County? If so, e-mail me at bastropgop@austin.rr.com and let me know of your willingness to help.

Albert L. Ellison, Chairman
Bastrop County Republican Party

SIGNS! SIGNS! SIGNS!! Get Bastrop County SIGNED UP! Name recognition is VALUABLE!

******November ELECTIONS are approaching faster than ever*******

Time to get ALL the names of candidates posted at every possible space available in the County!

There are plenty of signs at the GOP Headquarters(1109 Main St., Bastrop) that need a home to be displayed!

{{They do no good hiding in the office}}

Swing by and pick some up.

The only charge for signs are the Greg Abbott....small yard sign + 2 bumper stickers are 5 bucks! The larger road sign is 25 bucks!

CHANCES! CHANCES! CHANCES! TICKET SALES for DRAWING of the UNITED STATES FLAG!

STARTING TODAY: Pre-Sale tickets for a chance drawing of the United States Flag, flown over the United States Capitol.
Three (3) chances for $10.00

Purchase online: Go to the Main GOP page, TAB: Party Info, Scroll down to Donations: *{IMPORTANT, note after your occupation {FLAG}, so we know to enter your chances into the drawing for you}*

Drawing is on October 11, at our Liberty Fest Fundraiser.

Other ways to purchase chances besides online: Contact prechair2005@hotmail.com or purchase the night of Liberty Fest, Oct. 11.

About the Flag: 3 x 5 United States Flag flown over the U.S. Capitol at the request of the Honorable Michael T. McCaul, Member of Congress.
The winner will contact Congressman McCaul's office to have their certificate personalized.

No need to be present to win, HOWEVER, we would love to have you there!
Hear Keynote Speaker, GOP State Chairman, Steve Munisteri, AND HAVE GOOD, fellowship, food, entertainment, meet other candidates and participate in other drawings & silent auctions! All this from 7:00pm - 9:00pm doors open at 6:30.
$Five$ donation suggested.


SEE YA'll at 1109 Main St.

GET SIGNED UP!! CAMPAIGN SIGNS THAT IS!

November ELECTIONS are approaching fast! Time to get ALL the names of candidates posted at every possible space available! Name recognition is VALUABLE! Contact: GOP Headquarters @ 1109 Main St., Bastrop, TX. for signs (there will be a small charge for Abbott sings only, depending on size.)

Notice of Canvass

NOTICE OF PRIMARY RUNOFF ELECTION CANVASS Notice is hereby given of the Bastrop County Republican May 27, 2014 Primary Runoff Election Canvass. The canvass will be held on Thursday, June 5, 2014 at 7:00 pm at 346 Hoffman Rd., Bastrop, Texas. Albert L. Ellison, Chairman Bastrop County Republican Party

Will Weather Affect Poll Openings?

Weather predictions indicate a possibility of freezing precipitation tonight. If that occurs, I wanted to address what will happen at the polling locations on election day across the county. There will be NO standard delay of the polls opening. No matter what school districts or other agencies choose to do, we will not seek a court order for polls to open later than 7 am. That being said, conditions across the county tomorrow morning will dictate when individual polling locations will be able to open. The election workers are instructed to have the polls open at 7am or as soon as can safely be accomplished. If we awake to clear conditions, all polls will be open at 7am. If we awake to dangerous conditions, polls will open as close to 7am as the workers can safely arrive, on a case-by-case basis. In that event, we will help publish on our party web site the opening status of each polling location as it is reported to us. Your patience is appreciated as we flex with the weather. Albert L. Ellison, Chairman Bastrop County Republican Party

Voter Guide Available

The candidates and executive committee of the Bastrop County Republican Party have produced a voter guide that focuses on the local candidates. You can get your copy at www.bastropcountygop.org/BCRPVoterGuide.pdf Special thanks go to the candidates who participated and Shari Wyatt who chaired the project. Albert L. Ellison, Chairman Bastrop County Republican Party

Christmas Social Dec 19

There will be a joint meeting of the Bastrop County Republican Party and the Bastrop County Republican Women December 19, 2013, at 7pm at First National Bank in Bastrop (489 Texas 71, Bastrop, TX 78602). This is our annual Christmas social where we relax and celebrate the birth of Christ. We will have a potluck-style dinner where drinks and deli trays will be provided. Bring a side, salad, and/or dessert to share. Family and kids are welcome. The agenda will be food, fun, and Christmas music. Christine Fox, president of the Republican Women, asks that you RSVP by e-mailing a headcount to her by Dec 12 so she can gauge participation (but don’t let that hold you back if you let it slip past you). You can e-mail her at Bcrw.pres@gmail.com. We look forward to seeing you there! Albert L. Ellison, Chairman Bastrop County Republican Party

Notice of Ballot Draw

Bastrop County Republican Party will conduct a drawing to determine the order in which the names of candidates for the same office will appear on the Republican Primary ballot as follows: December 17, 2013, at 6:30 pm Republican Party Headquarters 1109 Main St, Ste A Bastrop, TX 78602 Albert L. Ellison, Chairman Bastrop County Republican Party

Filing Deadline; Where to File

Monday, December 9, 2013, at 6:00 p.m., is the deadline to file for office. Candidates for County Chairman or Precinct Chairmen, or candidates for public office whose territory is wholly contained within Bastrop County, file as follows: Until Friday, December 6: Albert L. Ellison, Chairman Republican Party Headquarters 1109 Main St, Ste A Bastrop, TX 78602 (512) 796-4560 10am to 5:30 pm, M-F Starting Saturday, December 7: Doug Kelsay, Secretary (512) 762-2567 Please contact him to arrange a meeting. On Monday, December 9, from 4-6 pm: Doug Kelsay, Secretary Republican Party Headquarters 1109 Main St, Ste A Bastrop, TX 78602 (512) 762-2567 Candidates for public office whose territory extends beyond Bastrop County must file with the Republican Party of Texas. Contact 512-477-9821. Albert L. Ellison, Chairman Bastrop County Republican Party