Ever since he cast his first ballot as an 18-year-old in 1968, San Marcos resident Sam Montoya has made it a habit to participate in the democratic process whenever it came up.

But on Monday, Montoya was “shocked” to discover the ballot he cast in Nov. 8, 2016 general election was one of 1,800 votes not counted due to a policy lapse at an early voting location.

Now Montoya hopes something can be done to prevent a similar issue from happening again. For some Hays County residents, impl...