Early voting begins Oct. 19. Here’s what Travis County voters should know.

Early voting in Travis County runs Monday, Oct. 19, through Friday, Oct. 30, ahead of Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 3. County officials are preparing for long ballots and higher-than-usual turnout in the midterm election, which includes a high-profile U.S. Senate race, statewide offices and dozens of local seats.

“Our office is bringing one of the most accessible elections to Travis County residents this year, with more polling places and more voting hours than ever before,” Travis County Clerk Dyana Limon-Mercado told reporters Oct. 14.

Voters can find their closest polling site at communityimpact.com/voter-guide. 

What you need to know

Voters can use any of Travis County’s 45 early voting locations, Limon-Mercado said. Locations are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day, including on weekends, according to the county’s schedule, except for one polling site that’s only open Oct. 30.

According to the county, seven sites will stay open until 10 p.m. on Oct. 29 and Oct. 30:

• Ben Hur Shrine Center, Ballroom: 7811 Rockwood Ln., Austin

• Lakeway Activity Center, Room F: 105 Cross Creek, Lakeway

• Millennium Youth Entertainment Complex, East Media and Conference Room: 1156 Hargrave St., Austin

• PfISD Rock Gym, Gymnasium: 702 W. Pecan St., Pflugerville

• Randalls Brodie, Café: 9911 Brodie Ln., Austin

• Travis County Clerk, Early Voting Room: 5501 Airport Blvd., Austin

• University of Texas Union, Room 2.214: 2308 Whitis Ave., Austin

The county has 201 Election Day polling places, the clerk said. Travis County participates in Texas’ countywide polling place program, which allows local voters to visit any polling site in the county on Nov. 3, regardless of where they live. All locations will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Nov. 3.

Preparing for the polls

Voters should bring one of seven accepted forms of photo ID, such as a Texas driver license or U.S. passport, according to the Texas Association of County Election Officials. Voters without one can sign a “reasonable impediment declaration” and show an alternative document, such as a utility bill.

Residents can check their registration and view sample ballots at votetravis.gov. As of Oct. 14, the clerk said, the county’s voter registrar had told her that a state backlog of registrations from the Texas Department of Public Safety was cleared for Travis County.

Another batch of voter registration updates is reaching counties after an address check on Texas.gov caused some name and address changes to fail, the secretary of state’s office told counties Oct. 15. About 15,000 records were affected statewide, according to the TACEO, whose members reported about 1,100 in Travis County.

The county has more than 700 ballot variations, Limon-Mercado said. Austin voters will see two bond propositions and eight proposed city charter amendments, according to previous Community Impact reporting. Council races are on the ballot in districts 1, 3, 5, 8 and 9, according to the city of Austin.

Limon-Mercado urged voters to check their registration and print a sample ballot beforehand to help keep lines short. In the March primary, many first-time voters were surprised by the ballot’s length, and some took up to 18 minutes to mark it, she said. 

“Because we have a very long ballot this election, we want to make sure people have a chance to research the ballot and the candidates [and] propositions that are on there before they get into the polling place,” Limon-Mercado said.

In March, more Texans voted early than in recent primaries and the state recorded its “highest voter turnout for a primary in Texas history,” Community Impact reported. At the time, Republican data analyst Ross Hunt told Community Impact there was “some certainty” that voter enthusiasm would extend to the November election.

Find Q&As with candidates, information about local propositions and a printable, customizable sample ballot at communityimpact.com/voter-guide.

How it works

Voters can bring paper notes into the booth, but phones aren’t allowed in the voting room, Limon-Mercado said. For more details on voter identification laws and what to bring to the polls, check out Community Impact’s statewide early voting guide.

About 137,900 of the county’s roughly 946,000 registered voters, or about 14.6%, are on the county’s “suspense” list, according to the clerk’s office.

Voters are placed on the suspense list if election officials believe a voter's address recently changed and need confirmation of their address. To fix the issue, voters can call the county’s voter registration office, part of the tax-assessor-collector's office, to reactivate their registration, Limon-Mercado said, or complete a "statement of residence" form at the polls.

If there are issues with a voter’s registration that cannot be immediately resolved, the voter should cast a provisional ballot at the polling place, she said.

“We want to assist every voter in casting a ballot, whether that is a general ballot or a provisional ballot,” Limon-Mercado told reporters. “If you are voting a provisional ballot, … that provisional ballot will be handed back to the election worker to be handled in a separate chain of custody, while the issue that created the provisional ballot is researched and either validated or cured.”

According to the TACEO, voters casting a provisional ballot will sign a sworn statement that they are registered in Travis County and eligible to vote. After the ballot is cast, it will be stored separately from regular ballots and the county’s Early Voting Ballot Board will later determine if the ballot can be counted.

According to the secretary of state’s office, Texans who recently moved counties and are still registered in their old county may be eligible to vote with a limited ballot. Limited ballots include "candidates and measures in common between your former and new county," such as federal and statewide races.

Officials have encouraged voters who are registered in other counties to contact the clerk’s office, as limited ballots are only available at certain locations during early voting and cannot be cast on Election Day.   

“We want to make sure every voter feels safe and confident in casting their ballot this election,” Limon-Mercado said Oct. 14. 

Nearly 27,000 applications to vote by mail had been submitted as of Oct. 14, Limon-Mercado said. Those applications must be received by the county by Oct. 23. 

How to help

Travis County has more than 940,000 registered voters, Limon-Mercado said Oct. 14, and the county is still recruiting Election Day workers.

Workers are paid $20-$25 an hour, depending on the position, which is above the state minimum, she said. They must be registered Travis County voters, though students 16 and older can get special permission to work. Apply to be an election worker at votetravis.gov.