DeSoto council candidates have voted in recent elections

by Daphne Brown of DeSoto TODAY

The six DeSoto City Council candidates vying for votes have actively participated in the process themselves.

The two men seeking election as the city's next mayor have cast votes in numerous elections since registering as Dallas County voters.

Bobby Waddle, registered since March 1976, has participated in 47 elections since 1988, when Dallas County began keeping voting history. He has voted in every presidential and governor's election since that time, in addition to numerous city, bond and constitutional amendment elections.

Harold Willis, registered since September 1988, has cast 26 votes since that time, including the 1988, 1992 and 2004 presidential elections. He has participated in governor's elections, Senate votes, joint elections, school district bond decisions and special elections.

Paul Benson has been a registered Dallas County voter since January 1990, according to the Dallas County Elections Administrator. With the exception of 1993 and 1999, he has cast a vote in an election every year since 1990. There are a total of 36 items on his history report.

Registered since March 1994, Denise Valentine has cast 30 votes. Her first vote, since the elections office began keeping its records was the 1994 governor's race, the 1996 presidential race and the 1998 joint election. Since the 1999, she has cast a vote every year up until the November 2006 general joint election.

Since being registered September 2003 in his current residence, Eppes has participated in the 2004 primary runoff, the 2004 general presidential election and the November 2006 general joint election.

Sandy Respess, registered since July 1990, first participated in the 1992 presidential election. Since 2000, he has cast votes each year. In 1993, he cast votes in separate joint and senate elections and subsequent 1994, 1996 and 1998 gubernatorial and presidential elections. His history totaled 19 votes.

According to Dallas County Elections, registered voters are only required to register one time, but also each time they move. By moving, it potentially puts the voter in a different precinct. New voter registration cards are issued every two years, according to Toni Pippins-Poole, Dallas County Elections assistant elections administrator.

“It's important to maintain updated records with us in order to establish which elections Dallas County voters are eligible to vote in,” Pippins-Poole said.

Early voting in the May 12 DeSoto City Council election continues through Tuesday, May 8. Registered voters may cast early votes in the election at DeSoto Public Library, 211 E. Pleasant Road in DeSoto, and the Glenn Heights City Hall, 1938 s. Hampton Road in Glenn Heights. Voting times are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. through Saturday, May 5; 1-6 p.m. Sunday, May 6; and 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, May 7-8.