With Early Voting for the March 5th primaries rapidly approaching, citizens must know how to cast their ballot legally. Use this quick guide to help you understand what to do when you vote in person!
Qualifications:
You must be a citizen.
You cannot be a convicted felon, unless you have served your complete sentence and/or period of probation.
What You Need:
You must be registered to vote.
You must have an acceptable form of photo ID.
Texas Driver License
Texas Election ID Certificate
Texas Personal ID Card
Texas Handgun License
US Citizenship Certificate with Photo
US Military ID Card with Photo
US Passport
If you do not have one of the above, you must fill out a Reasonable Impediment Declaration and provide a supporting form of ID.
Government document with your name and address (Can be Voter Registration Card)
Current utility bill
Bank statement
Government check or paycheck
Certified domestic birth certificate or court admissible birth document
Having your Voter Registration Card is helpful, but not required.
Where to Go:
Early Voting: You may vote at any polling location within your county of residence.
Election Day: If your county has Countywide Polling, you may vote at any polling location within your county. If not, you must go to your assigned polling location. If you are not in the correct location, you will not be allowed to vote.
Many counties will post locations online, if not, you can call your County Elections Office.
When to Go:
Early Voting: Voting times vary by county. Many counties will post times online, if not, you can call your County Elections Office.
Election Day: The polls will be open statewide from 7am to 7pm.
Assistance:
No one should assist you with your application or your ballot unless you request it. Be wary of strangers offering assistance. You have the right to a secret ballot.
You are eligible to receive assistance if you cannot prepare your own ballot because you are unable to write, see, or read the language in which the ballot is written.
If you do require assistance, you must notify the Election Judge/Clerk. You will be assisted by two election officers of different political parties. You may also choose your own assistant. In that case, the assistant must provide his or her name and address.
Double check your ballot before you cast it!
Voting:
Dress appropriately. Avoid any clothing that can be construed as political. Anything that depicts a candidate (even if that candidate is not on the ballot), a message for or against a ballot measure, or a political party. It can be construed as electioneering and you may not be admitted into the polling place.
Know your ballot before you go vote. Obtain a sample ballot or list of candidates for your specific address.
You will not be able to use your smartphone in the polling location so bring a paper list of your candidate selections. You may bring candidate flyers/mailers in with you as long as they are for your use only. Be discreet with flashy campaign cards or they may be considered electioneering.
When you are given your ballot, make sure it is the correct one for you. There could be several precincts voting in the same location and mistakes do happen. Don’t let them happen to you.
If you have received the wrong ballot or if you make a mistake on your ballot and need a new one, notify the Presiding Judge immediately. Once you truly cast your ballot, it cannot be corrected.
If you have any problems, your first point of contact is the Presiding Judge at the polling location. If he or she will not or cannot help you, step right outside the polling location and call your County Elections Office, if that doesn’t work call your party’s County Chair.
Have the above numbers saved in your phone.