Election Day In Travis County: When, Where To Vote

AUSTIN, TX — It's finally Election Day after a record-setting level of cast ballots during the 17-day early period that ended on Oct. 30. For those who love the thrill of in-person voting on Nov. 3, preparation is key.

Polls in Texas open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. Voters can check wait times at each polling place by visiting an interactive map in the Travis County Clerk's Office.

There are multiple races in this year's ballot, from city council seats to those in the U.S. House of Representatives up for grabs. There are a number of contenders for various school districts. Voters also will pick a new district attorney and choose between the incumbent county sheriff and a challenger vying for her seat. Sure to be a closely watched political contest will be that for U.S. Senate that pits incumbent John Cornyn against war veteran MJ Hegar.

Austin voters will weigh in on a ballot measure for the ambitious Project Connect — a $9.8 billion expansion of the region's mass transit system that calls for an 11-cent property tax increase referendum.

Sample Ballots

• Federal Sample Ballot
• Cities and ISDs Sample Ballot
• ESDs, MUD, Etc Sample Ballot

Before casting their ballots, registered voters must prepare ahead of time to ensure they know their polling locations and have the correct documents needed to vote. To that end, here are some key points to remember from the office of the Texas Secretary of State:

• On Election Day, only voters registered in a county that participates in the Countywide Polling Place Program can cast a ballot at any location in the county. In counties that do not participate in the program, Texas voters must cast a ballot in their precinct of registration on Election Day.
• Voters can check their registration status and view additional voting information online through the Texas Secretary of State's 'Am I Registered?' tool. Voters may also contact their respective county elections offices directly for more information about their ballot and appropriate polling location.
• Eligible Texas voters who possess one of the seven approved forms of photo ID must present that ID at the polls. Voters who do not possess and cannot reasonably obtain one of the seven forms of approved photo ID can fill out a Reasonable Impediment Declaration form, which is available at each polling location, and provide a supporting form of identification. Certain voters may qualify for certain exemptions to presenting an acceptable form of photo identification or following the Reasonable Impediment Declaration procedure.

The seven forms of approved photo ID are:

• Texas Driver License issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)**;
• Texas Election Identification Certificate issued by DPS;
• Texas Personal Identification Card issued by DPS;
• Texas Handgun License issued by DPS;
• United States Military Identification Card containing the person's photograph;
• United States Citizenship Certificate containing the person's photograph; and
• United States Passport (book or card).

**License is not required to be REAL ID compliant

With the exception of the U.S. Citizenship Certificate, which does not expire, the acceptable photo ID must be current or, for voters aged 18-69, have expired no more than four years before being presented for voter qualification at the polling place. A voter 70 years of age or older may use a form of acceptable photo ID listed above that has expired for any length of time if the identification is otherwise valid.

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If a voter does not possess one of the forms of acceptable photo identification listed above, and the voter cannot reasonably obtain such identification, the voter may fill out a Reasonable Impediment Declaration form (PDF), which will be available at each polling location, and present a copy or original of one of the following supporting forms of identification:

• a government document that shows the voter's name and an address, including the voter's voter registration certificate;
• a current utility bill;
• a bank statement;
• a government check;
• a paycheck;
• a certified domestic (from a U.S. state or territory) birth certificate; or
• a document confirming birth admissible in a court of law which establishes the voter's identity (which may include a foreign birth document).

The address on an acceptable form of photo identification or a supporting form of identification, if applicable, does not have to match the voter's address on the list of registered voters.If a voter meets these requirements and is otherwise eligible to vote, the voter will be able to cast a regular ballot in the election.

Voters with a disability may apply with the county voter registrar for a permanent exemption to presenting an acceptable form of photo identification or following the Reasonable Impediment Declaration procedure at the polls. Voters with a religious objection to being photographed or voters who do not present an acceptable form of photo identification or follow the Reasonable Impediment Declaration procedure at the polls because of certain natural disasters may apply for a temporary exemption to presenting an acceptable form of photo identification or following the Reasonable Impediment Declaration procedure.
For more details, voters may contact their county voter registrar.

Voters with questions about how to cast a ballot in upcoming elections can call 1-800-252-VOTE. For more information on voting in Texas, visit VoteTexas.gov.