This podcast contains comments from the July 5, 2022 Brazos County commission meeting.

Brazos County commissioners finish making decisions about early voting locations and times for the November general election.

Commissioners vote 4-1 to keep five voting centers for early voting. The idea to add four more locations was opposed by the cities of Bryan and College Station.

Bryan city secretary Mary Lynne Stratta said the mayor and city manager asked that they not pay the additional cost of more than $50,000 dollars.

Stratta told commissioners that she was instructed to investigate the cost of buying voting machines to share the cost of conducting joint elections with the city of College Station.

Brazos County Clerk Karen McQueen, who used to run elections, said if the cities conducted their own elections, that would cause voters to cast two ballots...one administered by the cities and the other by the county.

Early voting locations for the November election includes College Station city hall instead of the Memorial Student Center, Arena Hall, Galilee Baptist Church, College Station Utilities training center, and the elections office.

Commissioner Russ Ford and some of the public speakers at Tuesday's meeting sought a voting center for early voting in Kurten. They were told Zion Lutheran Church is not interested and the Kurten Community Center does not meet Americans With Disabilities access requirements.

By a unanimous vote, commissioners expanded hours the first Monday through Friday of early voting to match the second week.

Elections coordinator Krystal Ocon said current election workers are willing to work 14 hour days for two weeks if they get paid more than the current rate of $12 per hour, and if they get paid sooner than the current wait of at least 30 days.