What you need to know about voting: Pick your place, go early, and what not to bring
Hurry up.
But wait — don’t go till you know what to expect.
A little survival guide for Election 2020:
▪ Wait a day or two.
Tuesday is the first day of voting.
But it’ll be crowded. And slow.
If you can stand it, wait a couple of days.
Early voting ends Oct. 30, and more locations open for Election Day, Nov. 3.
▪ Think small.
If you can’t wait, get in line Tuesday before 8 a.m.
And go somewhere off the beaten path.
Pick any of 50 polling places, including Azle, Benbrook, Haltom City and Haslet.
Or vote on a small college campus, such as Texas Wesleyan University or Southwestern Seminary.
A map on the Tarrant County website shows the waiting time. Look for the link on elections.tarrantcounty.com.
▪ Think smart.
Go where the crowd isn’t.
On weekdays, go to outlying polling places.
On weekends, go to downtown Fort Worth or to campuses.
The polls will open this Saturday at 8 a.m.; Saturday, Oct. 24 at 7 a.m.; and Sunday, Oct. 25 at 11 a.m.
That might be the best day of all.
If the schedule doesn’t change, the Dallas Cowboys play at noon.
(It’ll feel more satisfying to vote.)
▪ Be ready.
Don’t bring a phone. You can’t use one.
If you need notes, bring them on paper.
You can get your sample ballot right now on a desktop computer at gisit.tarrantcounty.com/TCVL.
Don’t check your phone after you’re inside the 100-foot perimeter around a polling place.
Don’t bring a camera, either.
No photos or video. If you see someone armed or loitering within 100 feet, tell the election judge.
And don’t bring candidate gear.
No campaigning within 100 feet.
But do bring some form of ID.
And for the sake of election workers, do wear a mask.
No, it’s not a law. Just wear one.
▪ Bring patience.
It’s a long ballot.
And for the first time, there’s no straight-ticket voting.
Cities and school districts are also having elections.
Election officials in some outlying counties say it may take as long as 10 minutes to vote.
If you already have a mail-in ballot and want to vote in person instead, bring it along so judges can cancel it. Otherwise, you’ll have to cast a provisional ballot.
If you’re just hand-delivering a mail-in ballot, you can show ID to drop it off during business hours Oct. 13-17, Oct. 19-30 or Nov. 3 at the county elections office, 2700 Premier St.
When you’re done voting, leave.
No hanging around within 100 feet of the polls.
If you’re not an appointed party poll watcher, don’t follow the political suggestion to “go into the polls and watch very carefully.”
One more note:
Election Day is Nov. 3.
I was off by a day in last week’s column.
(It’s been a long election year.)
This story was originally published October 10, 2020 at 2:52 PM.
