Early voting in Texas begins Monday
Come one, come all.
If you are a Texan registered to vote, election officials encourage you to head to the polls sooner rather than later — perhaps even Monday — to weigh in on seven proposed constitutional amendments and a slate of local issues.
Early voting starts today for the Nov. 3 election and runs through Oct. 30.
Texas Secretary of State Carlos Cascos said he realizes Texans don’t have the best voting record, but he hopes that will change.
Last year alone, the secretary of state’s office spent more than $2 million trying to reach out to voters, encouraging them to head to the polls, he said. And the agency will spend more than $4 million by this time next year reminding and preparing Texans for the 2016 presidential election.
“No amount of money, however, can reach every Texan qualified to vote,” Cascos wrote in a recent op-ed. “The truth is, each of you has the power to encourage someone to vote.
“That is why I am asking for your help and why our agency is a resource for you [to] exercise your right to vote.”
Statewide, 13.6 million Texans — including slightly more than 1 million in Tarrant County — are registered to vote, state and local election records show.
Texas voters now have the chance to weigh in on seven proposed amendments to the state Constitution that touch on issues ranging from property valuations to raffles at professional sporting events.
Local races on the ballot include a school board election in Mansfield; city, water authority and library board of directors elections in Benbrook; charter propositions in Haltom City and White Settlement; and a road bond election in Keller.
Just make sure to take a photo ID to the polls, said Frank Phillips, Tarrant County’s election administrator.
Acceptable IDs include a driver’s license, a state-issued personal ID card, concealed handgun license, military ID card, citizenship certificate with photo or a passport. Any license that’s expired must not be expired for more than 60 days.
Anyone who doesn’t have one of the acceptable forms of ID may get a free election identification certificate at a driver’s license office.
For information about early voting sites, or questions about early voting, contact the Tarrant County Elections Center at 817-831-8683 or go online. Sample ballots are also available online.
Anna Tinsley: 817-390-7610, @annatinsley
Early voting sites
Early voting for the Nov. 3 general election runs through Oct. 30: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday; 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday; 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 26-28; 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Oct. 29-30.
Locations
Tarrant County Elections Center, 2700 Premier St., Fort Worth. This is the main early voting site. Emergency and limited ballots are available there.
All Saints Catholic Church Parish Hall, 200 NW 20th St.
Arlington Subcourthouse, 700 E. Abram St.
Asia Times Square, 2615 W. Pioneer Parkway, Grand Prairie
Bedford Public Library, 2424 Forest Ridge Drive
Benbrook Community Center, 228 San Angelo Ave.
B.J. Clark Annex, Room 4, 603 Southeast Parkway, Azle
Bob Duncan Center, 2800 S. Center St., Arlington
Center for Community Service Junior League of Arlington, 4002 W. Pioneer Parkway, Arlington
Colleyville City Hall, 100 Main St.
Crowley Community Center, 900 E. Glendale St.
Dan Echols Center, 6801 Glenview Dr., North Richland Hills
Diamond Hill/Jarvis Branch Library, 1300 NE 35th St., Fort Worth
Eagle Mountain-Saginaw school district Administration Building 6, Training Room, 1200 Old Decatur Road, Saginaw
Euless Public Library, 201 N. Ector Drive
Elzie Odom Athletic Center, 1601 NE Green Oaks Blvd., Arlington
Forest Hill Civic and Convention Center, 6901 Wichita St., Forest Hill
The REC of Grapevine, 1175 Municipal Way
Griffin Subcourthouse, 3212 Miller Ave., Fort Worth
Godley ISD Administration Building, 313 N. Pearson St., Godley
Haltom City Northeast Center, 3201 Friendly Lane
Handley/Meadowbrook Community Center, 6201 Beaty St., Fort Worth
Hurst Recreation Center, 700 Mary Drive
James Avenue Service Center, 5001 James Ave.
JPS Health Center Viola M. Pitts/Como, Lower Level, Suite 100, 4701 Bryant Irvin Road N.
Keller Town Hall, 1100 Bear Creek Parkway
Kennedale Community Center, 316 W. Third St.
Lake Park Operations Center, 5610 Lake Ridge Parkway, Grand Prairie
Mansfield Subcourthouse, 1100 E. Broad St.
Northeast Courthouse, Community Room, 645 Grapevine Highway, Hurst
Richland Hills Community Center, 3204 Diana Dr., Richland Hills
Sheriff's Office North Patrol Division, 6651 Lake Worth Blvd., Lake Worth
Southlake Town Hall, 1400 Main St.
South Service Center, 1100 SW Green Oaks Blvd., Arlington
Southside Community Center, 959 E. Rosedale St., Fort Worth
Southwest Subcourthouse, 6551 Granbury Road, Fort Worth
Summerglen Branch Library, 4205 Basswood Blvd.
Tarrant County College Southeast Campus, EMB- C Portable Building, 2100 Southeast Parkway, Arlington
Tarrant County Plaza Building, 201 Burnett St.
Villages of Woodland Springs Amenity Center, 12209 Timberland Blvd., Fort Worth
White Settlement Public Library, 8215 White Settlement Road
Worth Heights Community Center, 3551 New York Ave., Fort Worth
Source: Tarrant County Elections Office
This story was originally published October 18, 2015 at 6:59 PM with the headline "Early voting in Texas begins Monday."