Oct. 11 is the deadline to register to vote, and although that day is quickly approaching, there are a number of ways that citizens in Travis and Williamson counties can make sure that they are registered in time and able to cast their vote.
Eligibility
According to the Texas Secretary of State, citizens are eligible to vote if they meet the following criteria:
- An applicant must be a United States citizen;
- An applicant must be a resident of the county in which they submit their voter registration;
- An applicant must be at least 18 years old on Election Day;
- An applicant must not be a convicted felon, though a convicted felon may be eligible to vote if they have completed their sentence, probation and parole;
- Applicants may not have been declared by a court to be totally mentally incapacitated or partially mentally incapacitated without the right to vote.
How to register
Voters can check to see if they are already registered to vote by visiting the Texas Secretary of State’s website, the Travis County voter registration verification page, or the Williamson County elections page.
To register in Travis County, citizens may print a voter registration application from the Travis County Tax Office, and mail it to Travis County Voter Registration, P.O. Box 149327, Austin, TX, 78714. Applications must be postmarked no later than Oct. 11.
Williamson County applicants may print a voter registration application from the Williams County Elections office, and either hand-deliver the completed form to its office at 301 SE Inner Loop, Ste. 104, Georgetown, or mail the application to Williamson County Elections, P.O. Box 209, Georgetown, TX, 78627. Mailed applications must be postmarked no later than Oct. 11.
What’s on the ballot
Beyond the Presidential candidates, there are a number of state and local races that will be on the ballot.
Voters can visit the Travis County and Williamson County websites for sample ballots. Community Impact Newspaper has also compiled an election guide to give readers a comprehensive view of who is running and what voters need to know to vote in Williamson and Travis counties.
How and where to vote early
For those who want to forgo long lines at the polls Nov. 8, early voting may fit the bill. Early voting requires voters to visit any of the early voting polling places within the county in which they are registered during operating hours to cast their vote. Early voting begins Oct. 24 and runs through Nov. 4.
“We are projecting historic voter turnout for the Nov. 8, 2016, presidential election,” said Ginny Ballard, Public Information Manager for the Travis County Clerk Elections Division. “The estimated projection is 460,000 voters.”
Ballard said some of the benefits of early voting are shorter lines at polling locations, noting that Travis County has added four “mega” sites to their early voting locations that will feature additional voting equipment, more staff and more parking than some of the county's traditional locations. Travis County will also have a number of mobile voting locations for voters.
Williamson county is also anticipating a record turnout, and voters can visit a number of early voting polling places throughout the county to skip Election Day lines, or visit one of the mobile voting locations to cast their vote.
Voters can visit the Travis County and Williamson County websites for a complete list of polling places.
What to bring
Identification is required to vote in both Travis and Williamson counties, and must be presented to be able to vote. Approved forms of ID include:
- Texas Driver License issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety
- Texas Election Identification Certificate issued by DPS
- Texas Personal Identification Card issued by DPS
- Texas License to Carry a Handgun issued by DPS
- U.S. Military ID Card containing the person’s photograph
- U.S. Citizenship Certificate containing a person’s photograph
- U.S. Passport
If a voter is unable to provide one of the seven approved forms of ID, they will be required to sign a declaration at the polling place and present supporting documentation such as:
- Valid voter registration certificate
- Original certified birth 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
