The countywide vote center system allows ballots to be cast at any polling location in the county during early voting and on Election Day. In other words, citizens are not required to vote by precinct.

The Texas secretary of state’s office approved Dallas County’s request to join the program for the Nov. 5 election. Collin County has used countywide vote centers for some time.

The move means Richardson residents in Dallas County will now have over 500 options for where to vote on Election Day.

The goal of the program is to improve access and increase turnout on Election Day, according to the Dallas County Elections Department. All current Dallas County Election Day and early voting sites will remain open to eliminate confusion on the part of voters.

Early voting for the Nov. 5 election kicked off Oct. 21 and runs through Nov. 1.