Good evening, everyone. Welcome in.
It is election night here on 6
news and the final hour of voting
in the state of Texas and for
most of Central TX has now begun.
There's a caveat there.
I'll get to it in just a minute.
Thank you so much for joining us.
We've got a lot of races and
policies to cover tonight statewide.
It's possible we could see
a new state governor,
Attorney general and Lieutenant
governor by tomorrow morning,
although that would be a first in decade.
So let's get to what we know right now.
We've got full team coverage
tracking tonight's results.
Adriana Alexander is reporting
live from the bell.
Tony Annex, that's in Belton.
Bailey Bates is live for us in Hewitt
tonight and Darren Wallace is live in Waco.
Adriana,
we're going to start with you tonight.
You've been talking to voters all day.
What's the feeling you're getting
about this evening's outcome?
Well, the feeling is pretty, pretty strong.
A lot of people are coming out.
As you can see, the line is even longer
than what we saw at 5:00 o'clock.
A lot of people are still coming in,
trickling in to get those votes in.
Now, earlier today in Bell County
there were some troubles with
synchronized synchronization issues
and as a result it called the delay.
But after getting approval,
they were able to extend hours
from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM to ensure
whoever wanted to get their vote out,
they had the chance to do so.
Election Day brought out thousands
of Texans to make sure their voices
were heard in the midterm elections.
If you wish for a change, then you
should come out here and be part
of the change by casting your vote.
But when some polls opened in Bell County,
there were synchronization issues
at 42 voting centers in the county,
causing delays in long waits for voters.
We executed our security
protocols where we decided to
update these time manually.
So it took some time as we
went out and and and the.
Just the tech services go out to the
locations that were affected and
and do that on the E poll books.
After getting approval from
the Secretary of State,
polls in Bell County will now be
open until 8:00 PM, which will also
cause a delay in voting results.
For first time voter Olivia Krim,
casting her vote meant
taking action in the change.
She's been wanting to see women's
reproductive rights and just.
Gun violence and red flag laws and
all that stuff and just kind of
turn that around and I would like
Texas to go and different direction.
And for Mark Williams,
voting in the election is something he
holds close to his religious journey.
As believers in Christ, we have a
responsibility to involve ourselves in
politics and to represent God's law
as people from all walks of life
continue casting their ballots.
Roberts wants people to have full
trust in their voting system.
Despite the unexpected mix up
elections here in Bell
County secure, we found a time hack
and we solve proactively that time
hack and we solve it before any voter
were allowed to come into the site.
Now, once again in Bell County,
voting does end at 8:00 PM,
so you still have less than two
hours to get your vote out and
make your voice heard in Belton.
Adriana Alexander, 6 news. OK,
Adriana, great story.
Thanks for clearing us up on
everything today and getting out
there and talking to those voters.
Meanwhile, up north of McLennan County,
it's Republican Josh Keatons versus Democrat
Aubrey Robertson for District Attorney.
The two are running with very
similar promises to increase
efficiency in the DA's office.
6 news anchor Bailey Bates
is live for us in Hewitt.
By covering the Tetons camp
and Darren Wallace is in Waco
covering the Robertson camp.
Bailey, we're going to start with you.
Give us those details.
What are you seeing out there
as we have about an hour ago
to go till the polls close.
Hey Chris. Josh Gates has been
bouncing around different
locations in McLennan County.
He was just here at the Hewitt
City Hall Public Library,
but he's going around talking
to voters trying to get those
votes in at the 11th hour.
I want to show you the line here real quick.
This is the length of the line pretty
much all afternoon since we got here
at 4:00 PM and this is expected as
more people get off work and also as
time closes in on the polls closing.
So it is moving at a steady pace,
but something to think about if you
are planning to get out to the polls.
But teens was here to talk to voters
about the position and why he says
he's the best person for the job.
He's a criminal law attorney with
16 years of experience in Central
TX and other parts of the state.
He has had multiple law enforcement
associations endorse him.
If elected,
the Republican candidate says he
will first address the caseload
the county has on its plate.
We've got
to prioritize the cases that
are in the backlog right now.
There's thousands.
There's people that have been
sitting in jail for years
now waiting for their day
in court. So we need to work together
with law enforcement, the
courts, that's our judges, that's the defense
bar, that's our victims.
We need to make sure that
we're ready to start day one.
Titan says he is feeling confident
about voters, but he also stresses
that your voice matters and your
voice is in the ballot box. Now.
Once again, polling locations
in McLennan County closed at 7.
As long as you're in live by 7,
you can still vote.
Once again, your voice matters.
It is in the ballot box.
We're going to be keeping up
with teens throughout the night,
so stick with us for more reaction
and results as they come in.
Chris,
still a big hour to go in McLennan County.
Meanwhile, 2 more hours to go in Bell County.
So Bailey, thanks for that update.
We're going to leave you and Hewitt.
And we're going to head
over to off of Bosky Blvd,
where Darren Wallace is.
What's the mood around the Robertson
camp tonight ahead of the final cow?
Darren, what can you tell
us from that location?
Yeah, Chris Robertson said he's
pleased with the turn out.
He's seen all day at the First
Assembly of God Church in Waco.
The parking lot has been packed with
all day with voters coming in and out.
Now it is a little bit dark so I'm
not sure if he'll be able to see.
But behind me,
right over there at the entrance point,
Robertson has been standing
at that entryway all day,
talking to greeting voters,
talking to people all the way up
until these final minutes of voting.
He says showing that kind
of effort is important.
He says the county needs change
and he's ready to bring it.
He tells me the previous two DA's.
Like the experience necessary for the job,
and he says he's already been a prosecutor,
so he's more than ready to be the
change he feels McLennan County needs.
He says if elected,
his office will shift focus away from small,
petty crimes to focus on the crime
that really matters to make McLennan
County a better and a safer place.
We're not going to focus
on small marijuana cases.
We're not gonna go doctor hunting
and hunt down doctors that are
giving medical medical care
to women who are seeking it.
My office is about getting
rid of violent crime,
getting the violent crime
down in this community.
We're coming down the homestretch now, Chris.
The polls close at 7:00 PM.
And like Bailey said,
if you haven't already,
there is still time to get to
the polls and cast your vote.
As long as you're in line before 7:00 PM.
And I'll be following the
Robertson camp all night long.
And I'll have updates for you later in our
cut INS and at the 10:00 o'clock show.
For now, live in Waco, I'm Darren Wallace.
Back to you, Chris.
Yeah, Darren Bailey,
great job on the McLennan County DA coverage.
Both of you get back here.
Safely tonight and we want to hear
more for our 10:00 o'clock news,
so we'll be checking in with
you guys often tonight.
Now we turn our attention to
Killeen and Harker Heights where
some marijuana related policies
are up for a vote tonight.
Our reporter Nicole Sharon is
live for us at the Bell County
Annex tonight with more on that
situation and what the voters
are voting on tonight.
Hey Nicole.
Chris it has been a jam packed
Election Day and in Bell County people
were able to vote on Proposition A,
which would eliminate the enforcement
of low level marijuana fences in the
cities of Killeen and Harker Heights.
Now this proposition is broken
up into 2 main categories.
First, it prohibits Killeen and Harker
Heights police officers from issuing
citations or making arrests for
misdemeanor possession of marijuana
offenses except in limited circumstances.
Second, it prohibits law enforcement
from using the smell of marijuana
as a probable cause.
Your search for Class A misdemeanors the
person in possession of two to four Oz
could suffer a year in prison for Class B,
up to 2 ounces of marijuana and
you could be fined no more than
$2000 and serve 180 days in jail.
This ordinance was started by the voter
engagement group ground game Texas.
After gathering 1800 signatures,
they were able to succeed in
getting prop a on the ballot.
Today,
Executive Director Julie Oliver explains
the end goal of this organization.
We, you know, we certainly don't condone
the use of marijuana usage for young people.
Studies show that it's not good for the
brain before the brain is fully developed.
But we also don't think that an arrest
for something like misdemeanor nonviolent
marijuana possession is something that
people should be going to jail for.
This is just saying, law enforcement,
you've got better things to spend your
time on than writing tickets and arresting
folks for misdemeanor marijuana possession.
If prop a passes, this would allow
the possession of up to 4 ounces of
marijuana with no criminal charges
except in limited circumstances. Now,
according to various weed measurement guides,
that is around 96 grams of marijuana.
And voting here closes at 8:00 PM.
And I will keep you posted with
results as they are announced.
But for now, in Bell County,
I'm Nicole Sheeran, 6 news.
And just to give people an idea,
that would be about 200
marijuana cigarettes so that,
you know, is a fair amount.
Nicole, you really updated us
well tonight with that story.
Thank you so much.
We'll be checking in with you
often tonight as well for results.