Early voting by personal appearance started on April 27 and since then balloting has been slow, according to Deputy City Secretary Susana Martinez.
By 8 a.m. Wednesday, people had cast 72 early ballots at City Hall, City Secretary Tomas P. Saenz said. His office also had sent out 79 mail ballots and had received 62 of those. So far, a total of 134 votes have been cast.
One mail ballot had been returned by the U.S. Postal Service and that voter had gone to City Hall to cast her ballot in person.
Saenz’s office will accept mail ballots through the USPS until Saturday.
Early voting ended at 8 p.m. Tuesday.
Two candidates were vying for the Ward 1 position. Incumbent Michael Scotten, a 43-year-old petroleum landman, is seeking re-election after completing his first two-year term on the council.
He is being challenged by 52-year-old Belinda Saldivar Granado, who is making her political debut this year. She is an administrative assistant for County Judge David Silva. The only other ward in which a council member is facing an expiring term is in Ward 5. Incumbent Kenneth Chesshir is leaving the council after serving in that ward for 16 years. He has been elected mayor by the City Council each of the last 13 years.
Certified public accountant Libby Hitchcock Spires, 43, will replace Chesshir. She is running unopposed for the position and will be declared the winner by the council, probably at its May 11 meeting.
Chesshir stepped down as mayor a few weeks ago and Mayor Pro Tem John Fulghum was elected in his place. After that, Councilman David Carabajal was elected mayor pro tem to replace Fulghum. The council will reorganize at its May 11 meeting, electing a new mayor and mayor pro tem after canvassing the votes cast in the Ward 1 election.
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