LYFORD — Residents are trickling in to cast early votes in the May 7 election in which a political newcomer joins four incumbents vying for four seats on the City Commission.
Monday, 10 residents had cast ballots by the time the polls closed at 5 p.m. on the first day of early voting, an election official said yesterday.
Yesterday, eight voters had cast ballots by 5:35 p.m. as officials planned to keep the polls open until 7 p.m. to give more residents a chance to vote.
Rick Salinas, a teacher and coach, faces a field of incumbents who include Commissioners Maggie Quilantan, Wally Solis, Albert Cavazos and Tony Chavez.
Chavez, an accountant who serves as a tax assessor-collector, has served on the commission since 2006.
Solis, a retired military officer, was first elected in 1995, serving until 2009, when he was deployed for military duty in Iraq.
In 2010, Solis returned to office, going on to win election in 2012 and 2014.
Quilantan, who is retired, was elected in 2014 after being appointed to the post in 2012.
Cavazos, a former police officer who worked as a special education paraprofessional, was elected to a one-year term in 2015, replacing Commissioner Rocky Guajardo.
Early voting runs through May 3.
