Early, absentee ballots way up from last May in Smith County

TYLER — Early and absentee ballots in Smith County are up significantly from a year ago as voters and officials prepare for Saturday’s elections. The county says 7,746 people cast their ballots early and 1,127 absentee ballots were received by the elections office. In last May’s municipal elections, early votes totaled 1,650 and there were 64 absentee ballots cast. It should be noted that ballot items were considerably different a year ago. This spring, bond elections are on the ballot for Tyler, Bullard, and Chapel Hill Independent School Districts. Also on the ballot are several races for cities and school districts, as well as constitutional amendments.

Additionally, looking back further, officials point out that in 2020, elections normally held in May were moved to November and bundled with the presidential and other elections because of COVID-19. We’ll have more on elections around the area as Saturday draws closer.