Texans head to the polls Monday

Get ready, Texans: It’s time to head back to the polls.

Early voting for the Nov. 3 constitutional amendment election, which also includes a slew of local issues, begins Monday.

But election officials say Texans don’t have the best voting record, and they worry that just a small percentage of voters will determine these issues.

“Not since 1992 have more than 60 percent of registered voters cast a ballot in a presidential election, with even fewer voters in other election years,” Texas Secretary of State Carlos Cascos recently wrote in an op-ed piece.

“If Texas is going to see a change in voting numbers, it will require a cultural change in the state,” he wrote. “A cultural change does not come from a state agency or an appointed state official but from Texas citizens making the decision to vote and encouraging others to do the same.”

That change could come in November, as voters decide seven proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution that touch on issues including property valuations and raffles at professional sporting events.

Locally, issues on the ballot also include a school board election in Mansfield; city, water authority and library board elections in Benbrook; charter propositions in Haltom City and White Settlement; and a road bond election in Keller.

Statewide, 13.6 million Texans — including slightly over 1 million in Tarrant County — are registered to vote, state and local election records show.

But local turnout in this election is expected to be low, anywhere from 4 to 7 percent, said Tarrant County Elections Administrator Frank Phillips.

If local races spark interest, that could propel Tarrant County turnout to the double digits, perhaps around 10 percent, he said.

“Unfortunately, [constitutional amendment elections] are not the highest-turnout elections,” he said. “But there’s so many local issues that affect your pocketbook.”

Early voting starts Monday and runs through Oct. 30.

Bring photo ID

Even though Texas Democrats in August found a legal victory in the fight against the state’s voter ID law — after an appeals court sent part of the case back to a lower court for review — election officials say voters still need to bring their photo IDs to the polls with them.

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 an acceptable ID may get a free election identification certificate at a driver’s license office. And anyone who shows up at the polls to vote without a photo ID will be given a chance to go home and bring the ID back.

If they don’t, they may cast a provisional ballot. But to make sure that vote is counted, they'll have to take a valid photo ID to the elections office within six days of the election. Otherwise the ballot will not be counted.

Vote early

To register to vote in Texas, a person must be a U.S. citizen and at least 17 years and 10 months old (18 by Election Day), can’t be a convicted felon (unless the sentence has been completed, including parole or probation) and can’t be declared mentally incapacitated by a court.

People who have moved or changed their name after they are registered must give election officials the new information.

Phillips recommends that voters head to the polls during early voting.

“You can do it on your time schedule anywhere you want to vote,” he said. “If you wait until election day, you have to vote in your precinct specific location.

“This gives you extra time.”

To see a sample ballot, go online to the Tarrant County elections website.

For information, call the Tarrant County Elections Center at 817-831-8683.

This story was originally published October 17, 2015 at 7:35 PM with the headline "Texans head to the polls Monday."