1,718 voters cast ballots ahead of May 4 special elections

By LYNETTE SOWELL

Cove Leader-Press

Early voting concluded Tuesday for the City of Copperas Cove and the Copperas Cove Independent School district special elections.

A total of 1,718 voters cast ballots during the early voting time period, with 1,390 at Early Voting Center in Cove Terrace Shopping Center, 271 at the portable outside H-E-B Plus!, and 57 mail-in ballots.

Both polling locations will be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 4, which coincides with the election day statewide.

The Copperas Cove city council is filling a Place 5 vacancy, after the resignation of Manuel Montanez in January. The term of office for Place 5 expires in November 2025.

There are four candidates for the position, to include Timothy Traeger, Dale Treadway, John Valentine III, and James “Coach” Wilson. The winner must receive more than a 50 percent majority of the votes to gain the seat. Otherwise, the council would have to call for a runoff election. A link to the Leader-Press’ coverage of the candidate forum can be found at https://www.coveleaderpress.com/news/city-council-candidates-answer-questions-forum-0.

The estimated cost for the city’s special election was $4,180.

CCISD is holding a special election for Proposition A. The $175 million bond election is proposed to expand and upgrade Copperas Cove High School with more classrooms, a new 2,000-seat cafeteria, as well as renovations and changes to the campus’ athletics facilities and expansion of the band hall, along with enclosing walkways and security at other campuses, a renovation of the Miss Jewell Elementary side of the Fairview/Jewell campus, and restrooms added to Copperas Cove Junior High School. Articles explaining the proposed projects can be found at https://www.coveleaderpress.com/news/ccisd-994-million-bond-would-fund-high-school-classroom-expansion-lab-space and https://www.coveleaderpress.com/news/ccisd-shows-details-proposed-sports-and-band-projects.

CCISD has rented the portable building that provided an additional voting location for early voting as well as election day, and has paid for the additional voting hours. During the early voting time period, 271 voted at the portable building. The district’s special election costs $10,442.30 (portable building cost not included).