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Early Voting in Texas - Day 6 Update p. 5

Posted on 10/20/24 at 2:06 pm
Posted by Quidam65
Q Continuum
Member since Jun 2010
20484 posts
Posted on 10/20/24 at 2:06 pm
Tomorrow, we start early voting here in Texas!

A few of our statewide rules up front:

1. Unlike some states, we do not have same-day registration. You had to have had an application postmarked by October 7 to be eligible.
2. Unlike some states, we do not require voters to declare party affiliation at registration. As such, we have no data on how many early voters are Republicans, Democrats, or other.
3. All voting matters are conducted at the county level. Each county is allowed to determine the system it uses, but the system must be tested and approved by the Texas Secretary of State.
4. The Poli Board's favorite system, Dominion, is specifically NOT approved by the TX SoS. Thus, NO county can use it. (There are two major companies which have the duopoly on voting systems: Electronic Systems and Software (ES&S) and Hart Intercivic (Hart). Both of their systems are approved.)
5. Photo ID is required! Otherwise, see HubbaBubba's post on what is allowed.
NOTE: After the kerfluffle regarding "limited term" driver's licenses (which are given only to persons who are licensed to drive but are not US citizens), anyone having such a license must also provide proof of being a naturalized citizen.
6. If you move within the county from the last time you registered, you can vote in your old precinct. If you move to a different county, you can only vote a "limited ballot" which consists mainly of statewide races (such as POTUS and US Senate for this cycle, along with a few down-ballot ones).

Early voting runs from tomorrow through next Friday (11/1). Polls are open 7AM to 7PM each day except on Sunday (10/27) when the hours are 11AM to 5PM. Election Day polls are open 7AM to 7PM. If you are IN LINE when the polls close, you can still vote.

ANYONE can vote early. However, to vote by mail, you must meet certain requirements (the main ones are being 70+ or being out of the county on Election Day which mainly applies to military voters and their families).

I will post in this thread with information from daily figures provided by the county as I receive them (generally it takes one day for them to be available).

ETA: Thanks to HubbaBubba for correction on what you can do if you don't have a Photo ID.
This post was edited on 10/27/24 at 8:51 am
Posted by thegreatboudini
Member since Oct 2008
7088 posts
Posted on 10/20/24 at 2:07 pm to
Checking in from Bell County.

We ride tomorrow.
Posted by Quidam65
Q Continuum
Member since Jun 2010
20484 posts
Posted on 10/20/24 at 2:13 pm to
Since I live in Denton County, here are some comparable numbers from 2020:

Registered Voters: 565,105 (we are a fast-growing county; this year the number of Registered Voters is 664,113 and the number is updated daily based on registrations coming in near the end of the period)
Voters casting a ballot: 420,511
Participation Percentage: 74.41%

Although Denton (the city) is quite liberal, Denton (the county) is fairly conservative:

Trump: 222,480 (53.23%)
Biden: 188,695 (45.15%)
Jorgensen (Libertarian Party): 5,421 (1.30%)
Hawkins (Green Party): 1,092 (0.26%)
Write-in candidates (all): 276 (0.06%)
Undervotes (not voting in this race): 2,219
Overvotes (two or more votes cast in this race; neither vote is counted in the totals above): 328

Our county voters tend to vote early (my SO and I do): almost 85% of the votes cast were cast during the early voting period (last year the total votes cast during early voting were 356,797 or an average of 29,733 per day). Election Day participation is slightly more than absentee (mail) voting. Absentee voters tend to vote Democrat while voters using the other two options tend to vote Republican.

We use the Hart Verity ballot-on-demand system. After scanning your Photo ID (you don't need your registration card), the system prints out a ballot for you to use which is based on your precinct. Those old enough to remember the ScanTron systems will recognize our system: you fill in the box beside each candidate (Texas removed the ability to vote straight-ticket a few elections back, so your hand may cramp completing our long ballot). Then you run it through the tabulator (the actual ballot is kept as an audit trail).
This post was edited on 10/23/24 at 6:47 pm
Posted by C-Bear
A Texas Tiger
Member since May 2005
932 posts
Posted on 10/20/24 at 2:16 pm to
Fort Bend County checking in. Husband and I are voting on Wednesday.
Posted by Cleathecat
Houston
Member since Feb 2021
1537 posts
Posted on 10/20/24 at 2:20 pm to
City of Houston here, gonna try and go tomorrow morning and give a vote for that Magnificent Orange Bastard.
Posted by HubbaBubba
North of DFW, TX
Member since Oct 2010
50831 posts
Posted on 10/20/24 at 2:28 pm to
quote:

5. Photo ID is required! Otherwise, you can only vote a provisional ballot.
quote:

Voters who do not possess and cannot reasonably obtain one of the seven approved forms of photo ID may fill out a Reasonable Impediment Declaration (RID) (PDF) at the polls and present an alternative form of ID, such as a utility bill, bank statement, government check, or a voter registration certificate.
quote:

Here is a list of the supporting forms of ID that can be presented if the voter does not possess one of the forms of acceptable photo ID and cannot reasonably obtain one:

copy or original of a government document that shows the voter’s name and an address, including the voter’s voter registration certificate;

copy of or original current utility bill;

copy of or original bank statement;

copy of or original government check;

copy of or original paycheck; or

copy of or original of (a) a certified domestic (from a U.S. state or territory) birth certificate or (b) a document confirming birth admissible in a court of law which establishes the voter’s identity (which may include a foreign birth document).

After presenting one of the forms of supporting ID listed above, the voter must execute a Reasonable Impediment Declaration.

quote:

However, in order to have the provisional ballot counted, the voter will be required to visit the voter registrar’s office within six calendar days of the date of the election to present one of the above forms of photo ID; OR, if applicable, submit one of the temporary affidavits addressed in these FAQs (e.g., religious objection or natural disaster); OR, if applicable, qualify for the disability exemption addressed in these FAQs, in the presence of the county voter registrar. Alternatively, the voter may choose to leave the polling place and return before the close of the polls on election day with an acceptable form of photo ID to, if they otherwise qualify, vote a regular ballot at that time.

Voters who have a consistent religious objection to being photographed or who do not present an acceptable form of photo identification listed above or follow the Reasonable Impediment Declaration procedure because of certain natural disasters as declared by the President of the United States or the Texas Governor, may vote a provisional ballot, appear at the voter registrar’s office within six (6) calendar days after election day, and sign an affidavit swearing to the religious objection or natural disaster, in order for the voter’s ballot to be counted.


VoteTexas.gov
Posted by Quidam65
Q Continuum
Member since Jun 2010
20484 posts
Posted on 10/20/24 at 2:36 pm to
Thanks for the help, I corrected my original post to tell people to look at yours.
Posted by HubbaBubba
North of DFW, TX
Member since Oct 2010
50831 posts
Posted on 10/20/24 at 2:42 pm to


Also, I reside in Denton County where I have:

A. Worked the election for Trump 2016
B. Been a GOP poll watcher
C. Been a volunteer poll worker, assistant precinct judge and precinct judge in the elections.

Vote this week. I will be in line when it opens, tomorrow!

Posted by Quidam65
Q Continuum
Member since Jun 2010
20484 posts
Posted on 10/20/24 at 2:52 pm to
When I retire (which won't be until 2027 at the earliest) I think I would like to be a poll worker.

My SO and I will be voting on Tuesday. It will be interesting to see how long the lines are; I may have to drive by the polls tomorrow to see.
Posted by CR4090
Member since Apr 2023
8166 posts
Posted on 10/20/24 at 2:58 pm to
Harris County here. Voting one day this week. I don't trust trust Harris county Democrats on election day.
Posted by ChineseBandit58
Pearland, TX
Member since Aug 2005
47995 posts
Posted on 10/20/24 at 3:18 pm to
quote:

Harris County here

Brazoria County here - but within spitting distance of Harris.

Voting on Tuesday - afraid the line will be too long tomorrow.
Posted by TrueTiger
Chicken's most valuable
Member since Sep 2004
79966 posts
Posted on 10/20/24 at 3:20 pm to

Hill Country checking in!
Posted by wfallstiger
Wichita Falls, Texas
Member since Jun 2006
14715 posts
Posted on 10/20/24 at 4:01 pm to
Wichita County this week....the bride and me.
Posted by WhiskeyThrottle
Weatherford Tx
Member since Nov 2017
6944 posts
Posted on 10/20/24 at 4:30 pm to
Parker county. I'll stop on lunch one day this week and vote for trump. Parker county is republican by a long shot. During the blm statue removal era, they showed up at the town Square trying to remove a statue of a general they deemed racist and were quickly run out of town. They were outnumbered by quit3 a bit there.
Posted by Quidam65
Q Continuum
Member since Jun 2010
20484 posts
Posted on 10/21/24 at 9:10 am to
If you have serious insomnia here is a live feed of the Denton County elections warehouse (unlike Detroit, we don't hide our actions):

LINK
Posted by tketaco
Sunnyside, Houston
Member since Jan 2010
21498 posts
Posted on 10/21/24 at 9:24 am to
Harris County baw here and locked in!
Posted by HubbaBubba
North of DFW, TX
Member since Oct 2010
50831 posts
Posted on 10/21/24 at 11:16 am to
quote:

My SO and I will be voting on Tuesday. It will be interesting to see how long the lines are; I may have to drive by the polls tomorrow to see.
Today, I arrived at 9:50 and there were only 6 ahead of me.
Posted by Quidam65
Q Continuum
Member since Jun 2010
20484 posts
Posted on 10/21/24 at 11:55 am to
Drove by our early voting location (the one my SO and I use). No lines outside the building (it is our local recreation center) but the parking lot is quite full. Saw many people entering and exiting.

It could be that, as many of our local races are not competitive, people are going in to vote only for POTUS and in the Cruz-Allred US Senate race, then leaving, thus the lack of long lines.
Posted by LSUGrrrl
Frisco, TX
Member since Jul 2007
44885 posts
Posted on 10/21/24 at 12:06 pm to
Also live in Denton County. We should have a boil.
Taking our son to vote for the first time this evening.
Posted by 50_Tiger
Arlington TX
Member since Jan 2016
42937 posts
Posted on 10/21/24 at 12:14 pm to
Put 2 down for GEOTUS and Lion Ted
Tarrant County
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