Early voting begins Monday, April 22, in the May 4 elections. Local voters will determine the results of two contested races—one, for the Canadian ISD Board of Trustees, and the other, for the Hemphill County Hospital District Board of Directors. Also at stake is the fate of the $20 million bond issue proposed by Canadian ISD [see related story].

Four candidates are vying for only two seats on the CISD school board. In the race are incumbent and current board president Cody Culwell, and newcomers Jessica Cowden, Meredith Yarnold and Heath Hayden.

The successful candidates will join current school board members Rudy Godino, Bryan Bartlett, Ashton Macias, Andy Orrell, and Heath Mitchell. Long-time trustee Courtney Trolinger will retire from the board this year following the election.

Three candidates are running for only two seats on the Hemphill County Hospital board of directors. Incumbents Karen Gullett and Sharon Carr are seeking re-election to the board. Former board member Jesse Hanes is seeking another term on the hospital board, after losing his bid for re-election to Whitney Jones in the May 2023 election.

The successful candidates will join current hospital board members Cory Pittman, Colby Leach and Jones.

Sample ballots in both elections can be found above (click to enlarge).

Other local elections for the Canadian City Council and the Hemphill County Underground Water Conservation District board of directors were uncontested, and were subsequently cancelled. Three seats on the city council were open this year. All three incumbents—Ashlee Talley, Gary Prater and Wendie Cook—filed for re-election, and were unopposed. Two open seats on the HCUWCD board were filled by incumbents Spencer Hanes and Craig Cowden, without opposition.

EARLY VOTING

Early voting in both the school and hospital board elections will begin on Monday, April 22, and will continue through Tuesday, April 30, from 8 am-5 pm. It will be conducted in two locations:

Canadian ISD Administration Office, 800 Hillside
for those casting ballots in the CISD board race and on the school bond issue

Hemphill County Hospital Administration Lobby, back parking lot, ER side
for those casting ballots in the hospital board race

ELECTION DAY

Hemphill County
On Election Day, May 4, polling places for all Hemphill County voters in both the hospital and school board elections will be consolidated at the Canadian High School Gym Foyer, located at 621 S. 5th Street.

Lipscomb County

On Election Day, all Lipscomb County voters (Precinct 106, 404) may cast their ballots in the school board and bond elections at the Higgins Multipurpose Building, located at 15 E. 5th Street.  

All Election Day polling places will be open from 7 am to 7 pm.