Voting Information in Williamson County Commission Area Two
REGISTER TO VOTE
Texas law requires eligible voters to register by the 30th day before Election Day. In Texas, the deadline to be registered to vote in any election is 30 days before the election.Not sure if you registered to vote after you moved?
www.texasdemocrats.org/are-you-registered-to-vote/
You can click a box when you change your address at the Texas Department of Public Safety when you change your Texas Driver's License, but often there are delays.
You can also contact a Voter Deputy Registrar (VDR) who is trained to register voters in your county that will bring you a form and return it to the county elections office.
Wilco VDR Collective: www.facebook.com/groups/2082777831948803
You can also register online through the Texas Democratic Party:
www.texasdemocrats.org/are-you-registered-to-vote/
Or you can register online here with an informational link to the Texas Secretary of State:
www.votetexas.gov/register-to-vote/
BUT HOWEVER YOU REGISTER TO VOTE, GET IT DONE NOW, RATHER THAN LATER, PLEASE.
VOTE BY MAIL
AFTER YOU REGISTER TO VOTE (SEE ABOVE) YOU CAN REGISTER TO VOTE BY MAIL IF YOU ARE ELIGIBLE.REQUIREMENTS:
- be 65 years or older
- be sick or disabled
- be out of the county on election day and during the period for early voting by personal appearance
- be expected to give birth within three weeks before or after Election Day
- be confined in jail, but otherwise eligible
- It enables you to take time to research candidates
- You can vote earlier than everyone
- You can avoid long election lines
- You can check online to verify that your ballot was received ans verify processing
If you are afraid of voting in person for yourself or people you live with, use disability. The election commission does not have the right or authority to question what the disability is. They do not reject any disability claims. Anxiety is a disability.
The lines in some elections are long and sometimes the ballots are several pages long. If you want to avoid the lines, voting by mail is an excellent option.
Any questions, email: bbm@wilco.org
To call for a VBM application, 512-943-1633.
To apply online for Ballot By Mail: www.wilco.org/Departments/Elections/Voting-By-Mail
This is the actual form: www.wilco.org/Portals/0/Departments/Elections/Forms/BBM2022ltr-primary.pdf
Do not write comments on your application. Just put a check in Disability, Over 65, or the out of town box.
If you apply for Ballot By Mail, DO NOT write in Pandemic or COVID-19, etc. These will be rejected and sent notice of rejection. Just use the disabled option.
Your BBM application must be signed. When you send in your actual ballot, the signatures will be compared. For the Primary Election, the team reviewing ballots and counting votes will be Democrats.
If your signature is bad or inconsistent, consider getting a witness. A husband can confirm a wife and vice versa.
Please do this earlier, rather than later to help the elections committee process.
Ballots are mailed within seven calendar days after the application is received, or the date the ballots become available for mailing, whichever is later.
After you vote by mail, you can follow the status of your ballot: apps.wilco.org/elections/bbm/default.aspx
It will show:
- BBM Application Accepted?: YES, you will be receiving a ballot for the xxx xxxx Election.
- Ballot Mailed On: xx/xx/2022
- Voted Ballot Received by Williamson County: xx/xx/2022
- Reviewed By Ballot Board: ACCEPTED. Ballot was accepted for counting. It will be included with results released on Election Night
RESEARCH THE CANDIDATES
The Texas Secretary of State website will tell you about the Federal, State, and County candidates. It will not tell you about the local elections (City Councils, Independent School Districts, and Austin Community College):www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/candidates/index.shtml
Ballotpedia tells you most of the candidates on your ballot. It also provides some pictures and candidate websites, but it is missing some of the locals:
ballotpedia.org/Sample_Ballot_Lookup
Williamson County has Sample Ballots for this November that will be available at the end of September:
apps.wilco.org/elections/default.aspx
The League of Women Voters will have a sample ballot, too:
www.vote411.org
The Texas Tribune puts out a guide as well:
www.texastribune.org/2022/09/08/texas-voting-elections-2022/
Then there is my Unofficial Democratic Candidate slate here:
www.cliffa1994.com/CA2_candidate_slate_2022.html
HOW TO VOTE IN-PERSON
It is recommended that you vote early. You never know what will happen on Election Day, and the lines are always significantly longer.POLLING LOCATIONS
You must vote in the county of your residence. If you live in Williamson County, you must vote in Williamson County.You can vote at any official polling place in Williamson County. The list of early voting locations can be found here:
www.wilco.org/Departments/Elections
If you need curbside assistance, call 512-777-1030.
YOUR BALLOT
When you look at your ballot, the positions at the top of the ballot (Congress, State, County, are marked if they are Democratic, but at the bottom of the ballot, there are very important races where Democrats often start out. These non-partisan races do not identify as Democrats, so you must look them up. You can do this easily here: www.cliffa1994.com/local_elected_officials.htmlYou can find out what districts you live in here: wrm.capitol.texas.gov/home
Sample Williamson County ballots for your voting precinct are ready to look at here: apps.wilco.org/elections/default.aspx
NOTE: These will not have the candidates websites.
You can also look up a sample ballot here: ballotpedia.org/Sample_Ballot_Lookup This will be mostly correct and complete, especially after filing dates, I hope.
BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS TO VOTE FOR DEMOCRATS UP AND DOWN THE BALLOT. NO CANDIDATE CAN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE ALONE!!!
IMPORTANT NOTE: You can bring print-outs and notes to the polling place, but you cannot use your cell phone in the polling place.
