Records are made to be broken. Well, that is what happened during Tuesday's voting. Along with the Early Voting, Westsiders and Upper Valley residents went to the polls in unprecidented record numbers. This led to many people having to wait.

Lines before 5:00 P.M. were moderate. But, once the after work voting crowd showed up there were plenty of people to overwhelm the voting station staff.

Part of the reason for such a huge number of votes cast was that the presidential candidate's race was unsettled. This flood of voters to get out and make Texas turn into a pivital state for thier candidate sent the records through the roof.

This area known for electing the lone Republican State Representative in the county experienced a paradigm shift... or not. Usually, the number of voters voting for a Republican candidate out numbers any votes cast for Democrats in that area. Even if a Democrat is not running in that race; Republicans have always come out on top in the area.

The two candidates for the Democratic primary, winner Joseph E. Moody and Prof. Louis Irwin both had expressed that the district was changing and that the demographics of that change would be reflected in this election. They were right. But, the numbers even surprised them.

Never has any party in HD 78 garnered 20,000 votes. But, that is what both Moody and Irwin both received. The Republican incumbent has usually won with 5,000 votes. While the voting on the Democratic side was due mostly to the presidential race it remains to be seen if the Democrats will come back to the polls in November.

Prepared by UVB staff.

(Photos: Brax - Valley Publishing Company)

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