The program allows voters to cast their ballots at any polling location within the county, regardless of their specific precinct, according to a Jan. 28 news release.
The overview
The Hays County Commissioners Court passed the resolution after multiple Texas Senate bills, such as Senate Bill 990 and House Bill 5231 in previous legislative sessions, sought to eliminate countywide polling.
Key reasons for passing the resolution include the impact of natural disasters on polling locations, voter turnout, accessibility for voters with disabilities, and election transparency, according to the news release.
Digging deeper
Hays County Elections Administrator Jennifer Doinoff cited instances where fires, floods, and shelter-in-place orders at schools disrupted voting. She explained that the resolution allows election officials to redirect voters to other polling locations instead of extending hours or redoing an election.
The program increased voter turnout and reduced the number of provisional ballots cast in Hays County, according to the news release.
Provisional ballots are issued when a voter’s eligibility is in question, such as when they lack proper identification or their name does not appear on the list of registered voters, according to a Texas Secretary of State presentation.
A provisional ballot is also issued to voters attempting to vote outside their registered precinct.
“As someone who, in the past, hasn’t voted in my precinct but in the county, it would be silly for me not to support the resolution,” Precinct 3 Commissioner Morgan Hammer said.
A closer look
The resolution also highlights that many residents work outside the county and depend on countywide polling locations to fit their schedules.
“And so when they’re coming home and they can’t get to that polling place back in their own precinct, that person leaving Austin can stop and vote in Buda, that person working in San Antonio can come vote in San Marcos, and all votes count,” John Hatch, chair of the Hays County Democratic Party said.
Texas State University students have previously faced challenges voting before countywide polling was implemented, often being directed to the wrong locations and losing their ability to vote, according to previous Community Impact reporting,
Also of note
Countywide polling also allows voters with disabilities more options, according to the news release.
In 2024, the Department of Justice investigated 14 polling places Hays County used during the 2023 Uniform Election, deeming that the polling locations had architectural or equipment barriers that rendered the facilities inaccessible to voters with disabilities, according to a news release from the United States Attorney’s office.
These barriers included a lack of van-accessible parking, excessively sloped ramps—some without handrails and edge protection—and improperly sloped parking spaces. Hays County reached a settlement agreement to ensure all polling places comply with ADA standards.
What else?
The resolution additionally protects the use of electronic poll books, which was authorized by the Texas Legislature through the Texas Election Code Section 31.014, according to the resolution.
The resolution states that eliminating electronic poll books would reduce transparency and limit the ability of voters, parties, and candidates to conduct audits and reconciliations during elections. It also highlights that electronic poll books help reduce voter fraud and improve wait times.
Notable quote
“It always baffles me whenever we are looking for the shadow behind the door and I think a lot of the legislation that we’re going to have to address this year in the state capitol is trying to find the bogeyman behind the door when a lot of the times, there isn’t one there. And I think this is an example of that,” Precinct 4 Commissioner Walt Smith said.
