Original reporting provided by Alex Samuels, reporter at The Texas Tribune. Supplemental reporting provided by Rachel Nelson, reporter at Community Impact Newspaper. Early voting for the March 6 primary elections will be underway through March 2, and Comal County Elections Coordinator Cynthia Jaqua encourages residents to exercise their right to vote. “The primary is the election for nominating who will be on the ballot in November,” she said. “It’s important for a voter—no matter which party [he or she identifies with]—to voice their opinion for who they think should be nominated for that position.” In Comal County, Jaqua said voter turnout for primary elections usually falls around the 60-70th percentile in the state. “We live in a county that loves to vote,” she said, but noted the precincts that fall within the city of New Braunfels see the lowest turnout. Jaqua said the most frequently asked question she receives from residents is where they can go to vote. The polling locations and hours for Comal County are available here. Click here for Guadalupe County election information. Other common inquiries come from voters who want to know more about the issues on the ballot or what the candidates stand for. “We can’t answer that,” she said. "We’re the elections office. We’re the neutral ground. We prepare the ballots. The parties answer any of those questions.” Jaqua points those people to the Comal County Republican Party or the Democrats of Comal County to explore those questions. Jaqua said she isn’t aware of any voter fraud cases reported in Texas. If a voter does not have the necessary forms of identification at the polling place, he or she is still able to vote provisionally and given the chance to present the appropriate documents. Citizens who vote provisionally must fill out a Reasonable Impediment Declaration. Jaqua said in Comal County, she received 100 Reasonable Impediment Declarations in the November 2016 elections and none in the November 2017 elections. Dates to know First day of early voting: Feb. 20 Last day to apply for ballot by mail: Feb. 23 Last day of early voting: March 2 Election day: March 6 Voter ID required Texas voters are required to present one of seven specific forms of photo identification before they may cast their ballots. Voters must present one of the following forms of ID to vote: 1. Texas driver’s license issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety 2. Texas Election Identification Certificate issued by DPS 3. Texas DPS-issued personal ID card Texas concealed handgun license issued by DPS 4. U.S. military ID card containing the cardholder’s photograph 5. U.S. citizenship certificate containing the cardholder’s photograph 6. U.S. passport With the exception of the U.S. citizenship certificate, the ID must be current or have expired no more than four years before being presented at the polling place. Voters can apply for an Election Identification Certificate at no cost at any driver’s license office. Details on how to apply for an EIC are available on the DPS website, www.dps.texas.gov/driverlicense/electionID.htm. How do I know if I’m registered to vote? The deadline to register to vote in the upcoming primaries has passed (and Texas doesn’t allow voter registration on the day of an election). If you aren’t already registered, you won’t be able to cast a ballot in this year’s primaries. Don’t know if you’re registered? Check the Texas Secretary of State’s website. All you’ll need to do is enter your full name, birthdate, zip code and the county you live in. Of note: There’s no way to register online in Texas, but if you want to make sure you’re set for future elections, you can register in person at your county voter registrar’s office or by filling out a voter registration application online, printing it and mailing it to your county’s registrar. When does early voting start? Early voting runs from Feb. 20 through March 2. Where can I cast my ballot and what polling places are near me? Using the same portal that voters can use to find out if they’re registered, they can also find their polling location options on election day and during the early voting period. During the early voting period, voters can vote at any location in the county they are registered to vote in, according to secretary of state spokesman Sam Taylor. Things work differently on March 6, the day of the primaries, depending on where you live. Some counties participate in the Countywide Polling Place Program which allows voters to vote at any precinct in their county of registration even on the day of an election. For voters in counties who do not participate in the program, they will have to vote in their specific precinct on election day. The candidates listed in this guide will be on the 2018 primary election ballot in the communities defined by Community Impact Newspaper’s New Braunfels coverage area. Only contested races are listed. **Name listed on ballot *Incumbent