We have answers!

If you don’t see your question answered here,
email Pat Hicks or Carolyn Salter, your SDEC 5 reps
to help you legally vote in the November elections.

Am I registered to vote?

Best question! Go here to see if you are registered in the state of Texas to vote. You should check every year because the state, under Gov Greg Abbott, has made it a practice to cut legal voters from the rolls.

I’m not registered. What do I do?

In Texas, you MUST register “in person.” The best way is go to your county’s elections office and register there. The next best way is to go to a voter registration table at an event (county fair, etc) and register there. You can request a voter registration form be mailed to you. Once you receive it, you fill it out, sign it, and put it in the mail. You cannot fill out a form and register online. You CAN fill out most of the voter registration form online and then you must print, and sign, and mail (with a USPS stamp) at least 30 days before the next election.

I’ve never voted before. I’m afraid of doing it wrong.

You and every first-time voter feels this way. If you register in person, tell the person taking your application you don’t know how to vote. They will help you. Or email Pat Hicks or Carolyn Salter and they will walk you through the steps to voting in your county.

Can I vote by mail?

If you are eligible according to Texas state rules, you may vote by mail. Do we recommend it? No. Why? Because Texas has rules that allow more mail-in votes than ever to be rejected. Our recommendation is if you don’t or can’t vote in person do these things:

• Request your mail-in ballot as early as possible.

• Fill it out the day you receive it. (You are now on file as being a person who is voting by mail. You don’t want to lose your ballot - and your vote.)

• Follow the directions exactly for filling out your ballot, putting it into the two envelopes and then sign the back envelope. If you need someone to read the directions to you, that’s OK. You can get help doing that.

• Don’t put any extra marks on your ballot.

• This is important: If you can, drive to your county’s election office and turn in your mail-in ballot in person. If you can’t do that, put your mail-in ballot in the mail slot at your post office.

Remember, the safest way to vote is in person and during early voting.

I voted in the Republican primary. Can I vote for Democrats in November?

YES! You may vote for anyone who is on your ballot.

Will other people (my spouse, my parents, my minister) know who I voted for?

NO! Your ballot is completely private. No one will know who you voted for.

I can’t remember all the candidates’ names of who I want to vote for. Should I skip those races?

NO! Here are tips:

• Go to your county’s election office website and get a sample ballot. Print it off, mark it the way you want to vote and bring it with you when you vote. Of course, we suggest you vote for every Democrat on the ballot.

• Write down on a piece of paper the people you want to vote for. Vote the ENTIRE ballot, all the way to the bottom. Those races at the bottom (especially for judges) are often the candidates who will impact you most. A rule of thumb: Vote for Democrats in every race. Republicans don’t care about you. They’re only worried about their big dollar donors.

• You may not use/open your phone in the polling site. So don’t put your candidates’ names on your phone. That won’t help you.

I turn 18 years old in October. I want to vote in November but it’s too late to register.

You can register from the time you are 17 years 10 months old in Texas. If if your birthday is October 10, you can register beginning on August 10.

I’m a convicted felon. Can I ever vote?

In Texas as long as you do not “have paper” on you, you are eligible to vote.