Voter registration cards arriving in the mail; make sure to check your voting precinct

The new cards will show registered voters their new voting precincts for city, county, school and special districts as well as congressional and senatorial precincts

Courtesy ramparts360

Contact: Laureen Chernow
Hays County Communications Specialist
laureen.chernow@co.hays.tx.us
Office: 512.393.2296, Internal 1-2296

Hays County Courthouse, San Marcos, TX – County Elections Administrator Joyce Cowan has announced that new voter registration cards have been mailed out to Hays County registered voters, beating the April 25 deadline set by court order. The new cards will show registered voters their new voting precincts for city, county, school and special districts as well as congressional and senatorial precincts. Mail-in ballots were also placed in the mail prior to their April 14 deadline.

“Hays County has undergone redistricting in just about all of its voter precincts,” Cowan said. “Voters should pay close attention to their new voter precinct numbers because in many cases at least one and possibly more of their precinct numbers have changed.

“You might find yourself with a slate of candidates different from the one you expected because you are in a different precinct than you were prior to redistricting,” Cowan said. “In some cases, incumbents and challengers have decided to seek election in different or newly created precincts rather than the ones they’ve been associated with previously.”

Cowan noted that polling sites will be changing in many instances. “Remember that polling places selected by the County are for County office elections as well as congressional and senatorial elections. Cities, school districts and special districts (such as emergency services and groundwater districts) have also undergone redistricting, and you may find yourself in new districts for those elections, with different polling places than you have previously used.”

Upcoming elections include city and school districts on May 12 (early voting April 30 through May 8) and primary party elections May 29 (early voting May 14-25). Primary runoff elections will be held July 31 (early voting July 23-27) unless changed by federal courts.

Sample ballots, polling locations, and precinct maps will soon be online at www.co.hays.tx.us/elections.

If you are a registered voter but don’t have your voter registration card, you will be able to vote by presenting one of the following:

– A driver's license or personal identification card issued to you by the Texas Department of Public Safety. You may also bring a similar document issued to you by an agency of another state, even if the license or card has expired;
– A form of identification that contains your photograph and establishes your identity;
– A birth certificate or other document confirming birth that is admissible in a court of law and establishes the person’s identity;
– Your United States citizenship papers;
– Your United States passport;
– Official mail addressed to you by a governmental entity; or
– A copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows your name and address.

The Hays County Elections Department is at 512.393.7310 or www.co.hays.tx.us/elections. For additional voter information from the Texas Secretary of State’s Office, please visit www.VoteTexas.gov