NOTE – Additional voter and registration info is available at this tab (and be sure to check sub-menus available at the tab): “VOTER & Political Info And Resources“
No matter where you live, when you go to vote, remember these suggestions:
- Know the voting rules and dates for your county (which may vary from your state)
- Know the ID requirements (Photo? Voter registration card? Utility bill with address?)
- KNOW YOUR RIGHTS! Don’t be intimidated by poll watchers whose main objective is to keep you from voting.
- Go online and review the ballot for your precinct well before you go to vote. It will save you time at the polling place, and benefit the people voting behind you
- If you vote “straight ticket”, remember to look at the down-ballot non-partisan elections (which vary from place to place). There are propositions, judgeships — even mayoral races, in some places — which are not technically partisan, and thus are not affected by straight-ticket voting. Know your options and intentions in your precinct in advance.
- If you intend to vote ‘straight-ticket’ with some exceptions (known as ‘ballot-splitting’), know how to do so without invalidating any part of your ballot. Rules and techniques vary based on the voting method used in your polling place.
- Finally: If you have questions about your ballot or how to vote your choices, or if you are disabled and require assistance, ask a poll worker! They are required to assist you without advising you on how to vote.
Remember: The only polls that really matter are the voter polls for the elections!
Some of the information below applies specifically to Texas. If you live someplace else, please use it as a reminder to check the registration, early vote, and election day information in your state!
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Texas SOS Office @VoteTexas: Happy #ColumbusDay! To celebrate our great country, why not register to #VoteTexas2012? Deadline is tomorrow. http://bit.ly/OXuTRM
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From: Anna Nunez To: Carl Whitmarsh Sent: Sunday, October 07, 2012 10:24 PM Subject: DEADLINE TO REGISTER TO VOTE IS TUES., OCT. 9, 2012!DEADLINE TO REGISTER TO VOTE IS TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2012!
Voter Registration Applications may be downloaded in English, Spanish, Chinese or Vietnamese from the Harris County Voter Registration Department website: http://www.hctax.net/voter/acquirevoterapp.aspx
Or, go to your nearest Harris County Tax Office, Post Office or Library to obtain a voter registration application and submit it by mail (postage free).
IMPORTANT: All mailed voter application MUST be postmarked by Tuesday, October 9, 2012, to be eligible to vote in the November 6, 2012 election.
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From: Voter Empowerment Project To: Carl Whitmarsh Sent: Monday, October 08, 2012 8:00 AMSubject: VEP Weekly Update [TEXAS]
Dear Friends,
Great news for democracy this week! The purge of un-dead voters has been halted. Check out the “Voting Rights News” section for details. Also, be sure to review the “Action Items” section for things you can do to help protect the vote. Here’s your VEP update for this week.
Important Dates:
NOW – request a ballot by mail
October 9th – deadline to register to vote for the November election
October 22nd – First day of Early Voting in-person
October 30th – Last day to apply for a ballot by mail (received, not postmarked)
November 2nd – Last Day of Early Voting
November 6th – ELECTION DAY!
Action Items:
Vote First!
Make plans to vote on the first day of early voting, October 22nd. That way you take care of getting your vote counted so you can help others, if you have a problem voting you’ll have plenty of time to deal with it before Election Day, and you’ll find out right away if there are problems at the polls that need to be addressed so they can be fixed as quickly as possible. So mark your calendar for October 22nd!
Know Your Rights – Now that we know for sure that the photo voter id law will NOT be in place for this election, we can start educating voters about the voting process. You can download a copy of the “Know Your Rights” flyer in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese from the Resources for Voters page of the VEP website.
Voting, there’s an App for that – various organizations have developed apps for smart phones that you can download. Use them to find out basic info about voting, poll locations, and more.
Trainings/Webinars:
Voter Protection Overview – Overview of the basic elements of a voter protection program. An introductory webinar for anyone who will be responsible for drafting and implementing a voter protection program for a campaign or County Party. The recording and a pdf copy are available on the Trainings page.
Polling Place Procedures – Training on proper polling place procedures for Election Judges, Clerks, poll watchers, voter protection staff and voters. The recording and a pdf copy are available on the Trainings page.
Poll Watching 101 – Thursday, October 11 at 7pm. For anyone who will be serving as a poll watcher, appointing poll watchers, or interacting with poll watchers.
Voting In 2012 – Basic information on the voting process for Democratic voters.
In-Person: These trainings cover similar material but are designed for two different audiences:
- Morning session (9am-12pm) – Democratic Election Judges, Alternate Judges, Clerks, Poll Watchers, and Voter Protection Staff
- Afternoon session (1pm-3pm) – Democratic voters
Click on the link below to register for the training you would like to attend.
Resources:
Donate: The Voter Empowerment Project can only continue to exist and complete the desired goals if enough funds are available. Funding for the Voter Empowerment Project is separate from TDP general funds. Your support for this project would be greatly appreciated. You can make a secure online contribution today by clicking here or mail a check to the address below. Checks should be made payable to the Voter Empowerment Project. Please encourage other Democrats to give as well.
Stay In Touch: Don’t want to wait a week to find out what’s happening in the world of voting rights? Follow the VEP on Twitter @TxDemVote and on Facebook to receive news and information as it happens.
Spread the Word: The more people who are connected to the VEP, the wider our communications can reach and the more voters we can keep informed. Please encourage other Democrats to join us on Facebook and Twitter and to sign up for the weekly VEP updates, so that they can be in the know and keep their friends and family informed as well.
Volunteers: If anyone you know is interested in being a part of the VEP Team, they can sign up to volunteer by using the link here. We need volunteers for the following VEP leadership roles:
- Legal Team – lawyers in your county who are willing to volunteer to handle election law issues if/when they arise.
- Incident Managers – People who may or may not be lawyers who are well versed in election law who will be responsible for handling any incidents that are reported in your county.
- Election Judges and Clerks – Having enough Democratic election judges and clerks is critical to protecting the Democratic vote. If you can, being an election judge or clerk is the best way you can help…and you get paid!
- Poll Watchers
Voting Rights News: First, an update on the zombie voter (voters who are alive but were sent letters saying they were believed to be dead) issue:
State, Plaintiffs Reach Deal In “Dead Voter” Lawsuit – Victory for zombie voters! The purge of voters who are “presumed dead”due to faulty data has been stopped. None of these voters will be purged before he election.
Non-zombie news:
- Why Doesn’t the Law Give Full Free-Speech Protection to Voters?
- Redistricting Means Your Poll Location May Have Changed – This is true in all counties. Voters need to check their registration for the correct precinct number. Or just vote early and don’t worry about it.
- Voter Suppression Training Caught On Tape
- Excellent list of community-specific resources
- The Ballot Cops
Thanks again for your support!
Sincerely,
Sondra Haltom
Project Director, VEP
4818 E. Ben White Blvd, Suite 107
Austin, TX 78741
Visit the VEP website at www.txdemocrats.org/voter-empowerment-project
Paid for by the Texas Democratic Party, 4818 East Ben White Blvd. Ste 104 Austin, TX 78741. (This communication is not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.)
Thinkwing Radio with Mike Honig 