It’s Election Day in Texas. If you head to the polls, here’s what you need to know.
It’s time to head to the polls.
If you didn’t vote early in the presidential primary runoff or the Fort Worth election to renew a half-cent sales tax for police, you have one last chance to cast a ballot — from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday.
Already, 69,180 Tarrant voters cast ballots early in person or by mail; 586 of those votes were just in the police sales tax election.
“There’s still time to vote,” said Heider Garcia, Tarrant’s election administrator.
As coronavirus cases continue to grow, election officials are working to make polling sites as safe as possible by calling on voters to social distance, use hand sanitizer, wear masks and be familiar with the ballot to get in and out as quickly as possible.
Voters are asked to wear masks. If you show up without a mask, and want one, each polling site should have a limited number of masks to share with voters.
Garcia recommends that anyone voting on Election Day look up polling sites, as well as sample ballots, on the election website at tarrantcounty.com/elections before heading out to vote. Voters may cast ballots at any polling site in the county.
He said two polling sites will be closed in Tarrant County — Cross Point Church of Christ in Grand Prairie and the First Baptist Church of Watauga — because some election workers backed out over concerns about COVID-19.
But 173 polling sites across the county are scheduled to be open.
Runoff rules
If you voted in either primary, you are eligible to vote in that party’s runoff. Registered voters who didn’t vote in the primary can vote in either party’s runoff. You also can request a ballot just for the city of Fort Worth’s election without voting in either primary.
Make sure you bring a photo ID to the polls. The seven state-approved photo IDs: Texas driver’s license, Texas election identification certificate, Texas personal identification card, Texas license to carry a handgun, U.S. military ID card with photo, U.S. citizenship certificate with photo, and U.S. passport.
Voters who don’t have one of those forms of ID, and can’t reasonably obtain one, may fill out a Reasonable Impediment form and show a different form of ID, which will still let them cast a ballot.
To vote in Texas, a person must be a U.S. citizen, at least 17 years and 10 months old (and 18 by Election Day), mentally sound and not a convicted felon unless the sentence has been completed, including parole or probation.
What’s on the ballot
Here’s what is on the ballot in Tarrant County:
▪ Democrats will choose between Mary “MJ” Hegar and Royce West for U.S. Senate; Kim Olson and Candace Valenzuela for U.S. Rep. District 24; Roberto R. “Beto” Alonzo and Chrysta Castañeda for railroad commissioner; and John Wright and Pedro “Pete” Munoz for County Constable Precinct 5.
▪ Republicans will choose between Elizabeth Beach and Brian Walker for the 2nd Court of Appeals District Place 7 and Jonathan Grummer and John Brieger for Precinct Chair 3990.
▪ Fort Worth residents will vote whether to continue a half-cent sales tax for the Crime Control and Prevention District for 10 years.
For information about voting, call the Tarrant County Elections Center at 817-831-8683 or visit VoteTexas.gov.
This story was originally published July 14, 2020 at 5:45 AM.
