With a four-plus hour practice in her rear-view mirror Nov. 6, Texas State student and Hays High alumna Abbie Blackwell understood there might be a line when she took to McCormick Middle School to cast her ballot on Election Day.

Little did Blackwell realize was that her polling site, Precinct 223, was by-and-large one of the most crowded locations in the county. When the polls closed at 7 p.m. that night, more than 200 people were still waiting in line to vote.

But the delay didn’t deter Bl...