Early voting underway in runoff elections
Mayoral position, City Council seats among races to be decided
As early voting begins for the Dec. 9 joint runoff election, Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth urges voters to go cast their ballot before it gets too deep into the holiday shopping season and they forget.
There will be 41 voting centers available to Harris County registered voters to exercise their right to vote. The voting centers will be open through Tuesday, Dec. 5, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and on Sunday, Dec. 3, from noon to 7 p.m.
”Don’t procrastinate. Go vote now,” said Hudspeth, the chief election official of the county.
According to Hudspeth, Houston voters will decide half of the city’s elected government positions, including mayor, controller, four at-large council members and three single-member council seats. Voters in Houston council District D, G and H will see seven contests on their ballot. All other Houston voters will see six.
In addition, District 4 voters in Baytown will elect a council member and Bellaire voters will elect a new mayor.
“Voters should be aware that only citizens registered to vote within the legal boundaries of a city on the ballot may vote on the contests offered by the city,” said Hudspeth.“For example, a ‘Houston’ postal address does not guarantee that a voter lives within Houston proper.”
In the highly publicized race for Houston mayor, the runoff is between state Sen.
John Whitmire and U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee. In the crowded November general election – which included 18 candidates – Whitmire took home 42 percent of the vote to Lee’s 36 percent.
The race for Houston city controller will be a runoff between Chris Hollins, who received 45 percent of the vote, and Orlando Sanchez, who received 27 percent of the vote.
Although District D incumbent Carolyn Evans-Shabazz received by far the most votes in November’s city council race, at 49 percent, she was just shy of receiving the 50 percent of the vote necessary to avoid a runoff in the five-candidate contest. In this month’s runoff election, she will face Travis McGee, who received approximately 17 percent of the vote.
Additional Houston City Council races include the following (candidates names are as they appear on the ballot):
– District G: Tony Buzbee against Mary Nan Huffman.
– District H: Mario Castillo against Cynthia Reyes Revilla.
– At-Large Position 1: Melanie Miles will compete against Julian Ramirez.
– At-Large Position 2: Willie Davis will compete against Nick Hellyar.
– At-Large Position 3: Richard Cantu will compete against Twila Carter.
– At-Large Position 4: Roy Morales will compete against Letitia Plummer.
For additional information on candidates in the City of Houston election, visit houstontx.gov/2023-runoff-election.html.
The following forms of photo ID are acceptable when voting in person:
– Texas Driver’s License issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS).
– Texas Election Identification Certificate issued by DPS.
– Texas Personal Identification Card issued by DPS.
– Texas Handgun License issued by DPS.
– U.S. Military Identification Card containing the person’s photograph.
– U.S. Citizenship Certificate containing the person’s photograph.
– U.S. Passport (book or card). Voters who do not possess and cannot obtain one of these forms of photo ID may fill out a Reasonable Impediment Declaration (RID) at a vote center and present another form of ID, such as a utility bill, bank statement, government check or voter registration certificate.
Nearby early voting locations include the following:
– El Franco Lee Community Center, 9500 Hall Road.
– Freeman Branch Library, 16616 Diana Lane.
– MultiCultural Center, 951 Tristar Drive in Webster.
– John Phelps Courthouse, 101 South Richey Street in Pasadena.
Approximately 450 voting locations will be open on Election Day.
To see a complete list of polling locations and a sample ballot, visit www.harrisvotes.com.
FBI warns of holiday frauds, scams
As the 2023 holiday season approaches, residents need to remain vigilant against criminals who care less about giving and more about stealing.
Shoppers looking for a good deal this holiday season need to be aware of aggressive and deceptive scams designed by criminals to steal money and personal information.
According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), Texas residents lost more than $763 million to fraudsters just in 2022, including nearly $20 million in phishing and nondelivery scams. This year, FBI Houston wants Texas Gulf Coast shoppers to enjoy a scam-free holiday season with the below tips.
Buyers beware: Criminals frequently offer too-good-to-be-true deals via phishing emails, text messages, and online surveys designed to steal personal information.
Bottom line: if a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. Stay clear of unfamiliar sites offering unrealistic discounts on brand-name merchandise.
Consumers should also remain skeptical of social media posts offering special deals, vouchers or gift cards. These scams frequently lead consumers to online surveys designed to steal personal information. Before one clicks on a social media advertisement or provide credit card information, they should check the legitimacy of the website through independent research. Without practicing vigilance, shoppers may end up paying for an item, giving away personal information, and receive nothing in return except a compromised identity.
Sellers, stay alert: Keep an eye out for buyers who want items shipped before they will send payment, especially if those buyers use one name when communicating and another name or business for payment purposes. Also, buyers who receive their merchandise and ask for a refund, but do not send the original merchandise back may be part of a larger fraud scheme.
Charity scams: Unscrupulous criminals capitalize on charity-related fraud during the holidays since they know kindhearted individuals seek to donate to those less fortunate. Criminals use phone calls, email campaigns, and fake websites to solicit on behalf of fraudulent charities. Scammers target people who want to donate to charity, then hoard well-intentioned donations while those most in need never see a dime.
The following are steps residents can take to avoid holiday fraud schemes:
– Before shopping online, secure all financial accounts with strong passphrases. Make sure to use different passphrases for each financial account.
– Never give personal information – such as date of birth, home address, Social Security number, or bank account and credit card numbers – to anyone not known. Be highly suspicious of social media promotions and giveaways which require one’s personal information.
– Be wary of online transactions that solely require wire transfers, virtual currency, or gift cards.
– Pay for items using a credit card dedicated for online purchases, check the card statement regularly, and never save payment information in online accounts. Do not use public Wi-Fi, especially when submitting credit card or payment information online.
– Prior to donating to any charity, verify they have a valid Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) by visiting their website or calling the charity directly.
Report fraud: Shoppers who suspect they’ve been victimized should immediately contact their financial institution, then call their local law enforcement agency.
Victims of online holiday scams are also encouraged to file a complaint with the FBI at www.ic3.gov.
E-mail mynews@southbeltleader.com with news items of interest.