Early voting starts next week
GEORGETOWN – On the eve of early voting, county commissioners this week recognized the students whose artwork won the “I Voted” sticker art contest.
The pupils received commendations during the Oct. 13 Williamson County Commissioners Court session.
The contest to design a sticker for those casting a ballot ran from Aug. 7 to Sept. 4 with pupils in all grades across the county eligible to participate.
“Each design shows hope and is a reminder of the bright future ahead,” said Kristine Heimerman, deputy elections administrator. “Your creativity and imagination will inspire hundreds of thousands of voters heading to the polls this November and highlight the powerful role these young individuals will one day play in shaping our democracy.”
Also during the meeting, commissioners authorized a tour of the historic county courthouse and recognized the influence of the Korean language in local education because of growing ties to Asian businesses.
Meanwhile, commissioners named Felicity Ellis, a second grade student at Naumann Elementary School in Cedar Park, as the winning designer for the Future Voter sticker.
Austin Gerdes, an eighth-grade student at Santa Rita Ranch Middle School in Liberty Hill, won the middle school contest for the I Voted sticker and Brinda Morisetty, a senior at Rouse High School in Leander, won the I Voted high school sticker design.
All three stickers will be available in limited quantities during the election Nov. 3.
Early voting runs Oct. 19-Oct. 30.
Local early voting locations are Hutto City Hall, 500 W. Live Oak St. and Taylor City Hall, 400 Porter St.
Polling places will be open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 25.
On Election Day, additional polling places will be added at: Williamson County Emergency Services District No. 3 Fire Station, 1545 Chris Kelley Blvd. in Hutto; Wilco Expo Center at 5350 Bill Pickett Trail in Taylor; Thrall Independent School District room MS 204 at 111 S. Bounds Street in Thrall; and St. Peter’s Church of Coupland, 108 Wathen St. in Coupland.
There are 471,602 registered voters in Williamson County; the electorate can cast a ballot at any location within the county.
Historic county courthouse to open for special tour Commissioners will allow the county’s historic 1911 courthouse at 710 S. Main St. to be featured as part of the Preservation Georgetown Historic Home Tour Dec. 12-13.
The courthouse has not been part of the tour since 1982, according to Alton Martin, who heads the home tour committee.
“Many, many people in the area who come to the home tour ask us about the courthouse and why isn’t it on the tour? I also have the privilege of serving on the Williamson Museum board and we have support from the museum board to do this,” Martin said.
The tours are led by docents. Guests are not permitted to roam the properties they visit.
Martin added the tour attracts 800 to 1,000 visitors to Georgetown to see inside historic homes.
For ticket information, visit preservationgeorgetown. org/homes-tour.
Commissioners recognize Korean written language milestone On Oct. 6, William Kil, vice president of the Foundation for Korean Language and Culture in USA, told commissioners Oct. 9 represents the 580th anniversary of the creation of Hangeul, the Korean writing system created by King Sejong the Great, and the 119th anniversary of the official establishment of Hangeul Day by South Korea.
On Tuesday, commissioners officially recognized the day with a county proclamation.
Members of the Korean community thanked commissioners for honoring their culture, including a U.S. Army veteran.
“My Korean heritage helped me deepen my appreciation for this country, and my desire to serve,” said Alison Kil, who chose “to serve as an Army physician and lieutenant colonel, and I remain deeply grateful for the opportunity to care for American soldiers and their families.”
Kil added, “That service also gave me an even greater appreciation for the extraordinary bond between the United States of America and the Republic of Korea, a relationship forged through sacrifice, military service friendship and our shared commitment to democracy, freedom and peace.”
As part of its mission, the Foundation for Korean Language and Culture in USA has been working with schools across the country to make learning Hangeul an accredited course.
Taylor High School started offering Korean language classes this year with an enrollment of 30 non-Korean-heritage students.
“Not only can our students access the high-tech industrial advance manufacturing jobs right down the street at (Samsung Austin Semiconductor), but they can also now start speaking their language,” Taylor Independent School District Superintendent Jennifer Garcia-Edwardsen told the commissioners.
