HEARNE, Texas — From early voting to election day, since 2015, Paula Deal has been at the polls, giving her time to the people of Hearne.
Deal has been around, helping community members cast their ballots — especially when she saw the need for more poll workers.
"Every single year it seems like she gets shorter on poll workers and it's really important," Deal said.
"If you don't have poll workers then you don't have places that people can go vote that is convenient."
Deal was short on time to give back to the community of Hearne before retiring in 2018, now she says five years later, it's been very rewarding.
"I worked in Bryan College Station," Deal said.
"There wasn't time within my time schedule to devote to the town, so when I retired, I decided I was going to get involved."
She says the community doesn't always show their involvement.
"There are 13,000 eligible voters in Robertson County, and you've only got about a 1,015 [to 1,033] coming out," Deal said.
"That concerns me that people aren't taking this seriously."
There are residents like Austin Davis though, who made sure to be one of those who casted his ballot.
"I feel it's my duty, it's all of our duties, to go ahead and vote and make a change if you want that change," Davis said.
