District 30 special election to be held in late September

Texas 30th District State Senator Pat Fallon resigned Sunday, Aug. 23, which opened a vacancy for the position which covers a 14-county area, including Young County. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott made a proclamation the day of his resignation to host an emergency special election for the position in September.

The September election will serve as the second election in Young County after COVID-19 restrictions were implemented and slowly loosened locally and statewide following the primary runoff election which concluded in July. Young County Elections Administrator Lauren Sullivan said to prepare for a short turnaround on the election and a small race.

“It will be one race and so there will be just a few candidates and that’s all you will have on your ballot,” she said. “Shouldn’t take but just a minute to vote just like the July one didn’t, but if they (voters) are expecting to see anything else on that ballot, they are mistaken because everything else will go on the November (ballot) at this point.”

The Texas Election Code gives Gov. Abbott the authority to order a special election before the appropriate uniform election date in November, but it must be held on a Tuesday or Saturday on or after the 36th day and before the 50th day after he orders the election. Due to this the election will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 29 to fill the unexpired term of Fallon. Sullivan said the deadline to register to vote in this election is Monday in the September election.

For the rest of the story, see the Aug. 29 edition of The Graham Leader.