A relatively small number of Wichitans voted early in the citywide runoff race for a seat on the Wichita Falls City Council.
Figures from the Wichita County Elections Supervisor’s Office Wednesday show 2,148 people voted early, compared to more than 19,000 who voted early in the first contest on Nov. 5.
The runoff became necessary when no candidate in the three-person race won at least 50 percent of the vote in November.
Turnout for early voting in a Wichita Falls City Council runoff race was relatively small.
The runoff for the at-large seat is between businessmen Sam Pak and Austin Cobb.
Campaign finance figures released by the Wichita Falls City Clerk’s Office on Tuesday indicate Pak had not raised enough in contributions or spent enough to meet the $1,080 threshold requiring him to file a report.
Cobb took in $45,344 in total contributions between Oct. 26 and Dec. 4. Of that, the largest amount was a $30,744 in-kind contribution from the Wichita Falls Professional Firefighters Association for advertising expenses.
He spent just over $1,395, incurred almost $14,111 in unpaid obligations in that period, primarily to a Lubbock political consultant, and maintained just under $10,417 in total political contributions.
Since announcing for office, Cobb has reported raising $81,644 in monetary and in-kind contributions and spending about $38,482 while Pak remained below the filing threshold.
Election Day voting is 7 a.m.–7 p.m. Saturday with polling places at these locations:
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Martin Luther King Center, 1100 Smith St.
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Texas Highway Department, 1601 Southwest Pkwy.
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Region 9 Education Service Center, 301 Loop 11
Because this is for an at-large seat, all registered Wichita Falls residents are eligible to vote and may vote at any of the three locations.
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This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Low turnout, lopsided spending mark early voting for City Council spot