WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas — With election night just over a week away, there are efforts to increase safety at the polls.
This comes after a voter allegedly punched an election official in Bexar County who asked him to remove his "Make America Great Against" hat because political-related clothing is not allowed at the polls. Jesse Lutzenberger now faces a charge of "injury to an elderly person," a third-degree felony, and is out on bond.
Efforts to increase safety at the polls are happening in Williamson County with early voting underway. Williamson County Judge Bill Gravell said officials are taking measures to protect voters and election workers.
"We've taken different security steps this year than we have in the past," Gravell said.
Some of these steps involve working with law enforcement.
"We're actually using our sheriff's deputies in an off-duty capacity, still being paid though, to deliver ballot boxes to our different polling locations," Gravell said. "We also have deputies that are roaming through the different voting precincts, certainly not interfering with elections."
This is different from the past, when election workers would deliver ballot boxes to different polling locations.
"We just want to be more visible with the security and the measures that we're taking. And we want our residents to know that they can come and vote, and they can feel safe in that location," Gravell said.
One voter, Georgetown resident Edward Peña Jr., is calling for civility at the polling places.
"It is serious, but it also ain't that serious, right? We're going to be OK. We're here for each other. We got to live life one day at a time. And other than that, what else can we do?" Peña Jr. said.
It is a call that Gravell is more than happy to echo.
"There's no reason for you to act like a fool, and there's no reason for you to be aggressive or mean spirited to the other people," Gravell said.
It is keeping the spirit of democracy alive and dignified.
"That's the cool thing that we have in America. You can vote. You can vote your passion out," Gravell said.