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of Richardson
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League of Women Voters® of Richardson |
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Frequently Asked Questions About VotingEverything you wanted to know about voting in Richardson.Registration
Early Voting
Election Day
After the Election
RegistrationWhen should I register to vote? You can register to vote any time during the year. In order to be eligible to vote in any given election, your application must be received by the registrar's office at least 30 days before that election. How can I find out if I'm already registered? If you live in Dallas County, go to the Dallas County Elections Department website to see if you are registered. Do I have to re-register before each election? No. Once you are a registered voter, you should remain on the registration rolls as long as you are still living at the same address. I forgot to vote in the last election. Does this mean I have to re-register? It shouldn't, as long as you still live at the same address. If you don't receive a new voter registration certificate every two years in the mail, you should contact your county Elections Department to see if you are still registered. How old do you have to be to register? You must be at least 17 years, 10 months old on the date you apply. In order to vote, you must be 18 on or before election day. Are there any special rules for first-time voters? Yes. If you are a first time voter registering by mail, you must either enclose a copy of identification with your application, or you must instead present identification the first time you vote in a federal election. First-time voters must show: Can someone else register for me? You may authorize your spouse, parent, or child to fill out and sign an application for you if that person is a registered voter or has applied for registration. What if I'm attending college in another county or out of state? Where should I register? If you still consider your parents' residence as your full-time residence, you should register there and either come home to vote early or on Election Day, or vote early by mail. The procedure for voting early by mail is explained in the Early Voting section farther down this page. Yes, but special procedures must be followed, paying particular attention to deadlines. Information can be found on the Texas Secratary of State's website. What if I find a mistake on my certificate? Make any needed corrections on your certificate and return it to your county Voter Registrar immediately. Your registrar's address is in the upper left-hand corner of your certificate. What do all those numbers on my certificate mean? Click here for an explanation. What if I lose my certificate? Notify your county Voter Registrar in writing to receive a replacement. Everyone gets a new certificate every two years if they haven't moved to a new address. What if I move? Am I still registered? If you move to a new address, you will need to update or change your registration. I'm moving within 30 days of the next election. Will I be able to vote? If you still live in the same county, you may vote in your old precinct as long as you live in the same political subdivision holding the election. Follow the same steps outlined above for moving within the same county.  Early VotingEarly voting is a way for registered voters to cast their ballots prior to Election Day, either in person or by mail. Any registered voter may vote early in person. No special circumstances need to be met or explained. When can you vote early in person? Early voting in person is available for a specified time period prior to each election. The dates and hours of early voting are available from the County elections administrator or the elections administrator for the local entity holding the election (e.g., city, school district). Where do you go to vote early in person? One or more central locations will be available for early voting. When you get there, election workers will prepare a ballot for you based on the precinct in which you live. Voting early by mail is for people who will be: How do you get a ballot to vote by mail? Call the elections administrator in charge of the election you want to vote in, or contact the Secretary of State's office at 1-800-252-VOTE (8683) or online to request a ballot. Election DayOn Election Day, polls are open from 7am to 7pm. What if I have a conflict and can't make it to the polls on Election Day? Texas now has a fairly long early voting period preceding each election, with varied hours in centralized locations. If you know you might have a problem making it to the polls on Election Day itself, please vote early. Where do I go to vote on Election Day? The easiest way to find your Election Day polling place is to go to VOTE411.org and type in your address. Your polling place should be available there. If not, you will need your precinct number. This number is located on your voter registration certificate. If you can't find your certificate, you can get your precinct number from your county Elections Department (Dallas or Collin). How do I know what will be on the ballot? This is a good question. In a state as large as Texas, we vote on many offices and issues, and even well-prepared voters are sometimes surprised to find things on their ballots that they weren't expecting. Do I have to register with a particular party to vote in their primary election? No. As long as you are registered, you may choose to vote in any party's primary, but you may only vote in one party's primary for any given election. How do I know who to vote for? Voting responsibly takes a little time and effort on your part. It is sometimes hard to gather accurate and impartial information about candidates and their qualifications, records, and stand on important issues. The candidates' and parties' own advertising sometimes tells only part of what you need to know. Do I have to show identification when I get to the polls? If you have your current voter registration certificate with you, you do not need any other form of identification. What if I can't find my voter registration certificate? You will need to show some other form of identification at the polls (such as a driver's license, birth certificate, or copy of an electric bill), and may have to sign an affidavit. A complete list of acceptable forms of identification is on the Texas Secretary of State's website. What if I get to my polling place and my name is not on the list? Following the 2000 Presidential Election, new laws were put in place to try to address some voting irregularities which occurred throughout the country. One of the changes now in place is the 'provisional ballot.' May I bring any written information with me when I vote? Yes. Under a relatively recent change in Texas law, you may now bring any written material you like into the voting booth with you, whether it is handwritten or printed, or whether is was prepared by yourself or others. What if I encounter a serious problem with voting? Click here for links you will need for serious problems. After the ElectionWhere can I find election results? In addition to local media sources (TV, radio, newspaper), you can look on the website of the county Election Department, or in the case of local elections, the city or school district. What are runoff elections and when are they used? In most Texas elections, candidates for office must win a majority of the vote in order to win an election. Thus, in an election with several candidates on the ballot, it is fairly common for no one candidate to win more than 50% of the vote. It such cases, the top two vote-getters face each other in a second election, called a runoff. Runoffs are often seen in primary and local elections. I didn't vote in the last election. Can I vote in the runoff? Yes. Runoff elections are open to all eligible voters. Comments, suggestions, questions? Contact our
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