Local Elections Coming Up – May 1, 2021
Hello Muleshoe People! For the last 25 years, the City of Muleshoe has been under the
leadership of Mayor Cliff Black. Mayor Black served on city council beginning in 1995 and was
elected mayor in 2004. This year, that is all set to change. Someone new will be taking the
highest leadership role in municipal government. Who that person is, lies in the hands of th
voters. Here’s what you need know about this year’s local elections.
I’m sure you’ve noticed the yard signs popping up across town, and even some billboards
which are a first for Muleshoe. That is how you know; the race is on.
Local elections give residents the opportunity to vote for the people they want to
represent them in local government. Elected positions for Muleshoe City Council and Muleshoe
Mayor serve 3-year terms. Elections for these positions are staggered so that every 3 years there
is a mayoral election, and in the years between, city council districts 1 and 2 are elected in one
year, and in districts 3 and 4 in the other.
Along with elected positions, local propositions can also be found on the ballot. The most
recent example of a local proposition that received voter approval was the reauthorization of the
street maintenance tax. The proposition passed with a majority of votes approving the dedicated
tax, which is used to actively maintain and repair existing city streets and sidewalks.
The City of Muleshoe has a general election every year on the uniform election day,
which is the first Saturday in May. This year, the general election will elect the Mayor of
Muleshoe. The city will also hold a special election to fill a vacancy in the unexpired term for
city council district 1. There will be no local propositions on the ballot this year.
Furthermore, the City of Muleshoe contracts with Muleshoe Independent School District
and Muleshoe Area Hospital District to administer their elections. This is done to make it more
convenient for citizens to vote. This means you can vote for all 3 of these elections at one polling
location!
Here’s what you will find on the ballot this year! The following candidate information
will be listed in alphabetical order:
The candidates for Mayor include Colt Ellis and Erin Gonzales. The candidates for City
Council District 1 include Crystal Alarcon, Cory Contreras, and Scott Miller.
For the Muleshoe ISD election of Board of Trustees, Steve Clifton and Jr. Martinez are
running to represent District 1, and Lela Hancock Jones and Sergio Leal are running to represent
District 4.
The Muleshoe Area Hospital District election was cancelled due to an uncontested race.
The board position for District 2 will be filled by Allen Smyer, who filed and was uncontested.
No one filed to run in District 4, leaving this seat vacant, or filled by appointment, until the next
election.
Zanea Carpenter, Muleshoe’s City Secretary, serves as the elections administrator,
meaning she is responsible for managing and overseeing the entire election and its processes.
According to Carpenter, this is the first time she has ever seen this much interest from the
community in local elections. The recent presidential election and the covid-19 pandemic may be
two variables accounting for the peaked interest.
Voter turnout in Texas ranks among the lowest in comparison to other states. In the 2020
general election, Texas ranked 46th in voter turnout at 60.4% (United States Election Project).
Today, there are 2,200 active registered voters in the City of Muleshoe. In the 2015 mayoral
election, 904 people turned out to vote. According to those numbers, we can assume there was
about 41% voter turnout that year. In the city’s 2020 election, for the reauthorization of the street
maintenance tax, voter turnout was only 14%.
By offering you this data, I want to convey the significance of your choice to vote. In
local elections, one single vote CAN make a difference. Every vote counts. That being said, I
encourage you to make plans to vote and I encourage you to talk about local elections with your
peers.
Election Day is May 1, 2021. Early voting will begin April 19 and run through April 27,
allowing plenty of time for voters to cast their ballots.
All voting will be held at City Hall, 215 S. 1st Street. Early voting will be from 8 am – 5
pm with extended hours from 7 am – 7 pm on Tuesday, April 20, and Tuesday, April 27. On
election day, polls will be open from 7 am – 7 pm.
For more information on elections, you may contact Zanea Carpenter at City Hall, 806-
277-4528.