JEFFERSON COUNTY, Texas — Early voting begins in a week in several local races and county officials want to ease the number of calls they've received from voters unsure about what's on the ballot and where they can vote.
Jefferson County Clerk Roxanne Acosta-Hellberg tells 12News there are two different elections happening in May.
She says it's vital for voters to know what they're voting on and if they can even vote in the first place.
"Certainly for the individual who is not concerned about this other than to show up and vote, I can see how this can be confusing," Acosta-Hellberg said.
Acosta-Hellberg and her staff will oversee two separate elections in May. The first is Saturday, May 4, which features races like the Port Arthur school board and the Jefferson County Central Appraisal District.
"Our appraisal district has three positions that are going to be voted on. And then you have Port Arthur ISD also participating in that. It's called a uniform election," said Acosta-Hellberg.
Many city and school district candidates are running unopposed in this election.
Early voting starts Monday, April 22 and runs through April 30 at six locations. Election day is May 4 with 32 voting locations.
That election is open to all registered voters.
POLLING LOCATIONS | Find a full list of Jefferson County polling locations and times
The second race is the primary runoff for District 21 between incumbent Dade Phelan and David Covey.
"There's a lot of activity, a lot of interest in that race," Acosta-Hellberg told 12News.
She says there has been some confusion among voters regarding what parties they can vote for.
"If you voted in the primary and you selected the democrat party, this is a republican race. So you won't be able to vote this time around," she said.
If you didn't vote in March, you will be able to vote in the runoff as long as you live inside District 21.
Early voting for the GOP runoff runs from May 20 through the May 24. Election Day is Tuesday, May 28.
Acosta-Hellberg says they are still working out early voting dates for the general election which happens November 5, 2024. She says there will also be 52 polling locations instead of 40 for the general election.
An extensive list of all Jefferson County polling locations and times can be found on the County Clerk's website.