Who decides election dates?
The governing body of a "political subdivision" will select
election dates.
Does Williamson County have Uniform Voting Dates?
The State of Texas has uniform election dates in the months
of May and November. In addition, there may be runoff
elections for those dates and other elections when necessary
to fill an unexpired term of an elected official - which may
also have a runoff. A political subdivision may justify an
election as provided for in Chapter 41 of the
Texas Election Code.
Who decides election sites / polling locations?
Generally, when there is just one election, the political
subdivision will decide where it wants the polling sites to
be. In Williamson County, the County Elections Administrator
initially selects the sites for a given election, subject to
Commissioners Court approval. This is because other entities
contract with the County for their elections and ask the
County to do so in order to use essentially the same sites
as the County does for their elections. Entities holding
elections, however, often indicate where they want the
polling places to be. This is often true with elections for
school boards or school bonds. This process becomes more
complicated when there are combinations of elections, or
joint elections on the same date.
Entities should use the same
election sites as the previous "like" election, i.e. the
last school bond issue or the last Presidential Primary.
But, it is not always possible to do that because of
population growth, precinct splits, construction on a former
polling site, political party requests, or neighborhood
association preferences, and other reasons. Over the last
couple of years, the County, City and several of the large
political subdivisions have been able to stabilize election
polling locations.
Do I really need my Voter Registration Card to vote?
Bringing the card will help both you and others in line by
speeding the process. If you do not have your card, you will
be asked for a driver license or other form of positive
identification. Please bring the card with you.
During a Primary Election, what if I don't want to
tell the election judges whether I want to vote Republican
or Democrat? What if I want to vote for a Reform or
Independent Candidate?
If the voter does not tell the judge whether they wish
to vote Democratic or Republican, then the judge will be
unable to provide a ballot for the voter. In a Texas
primary election, a voter will have two choices - either
the Republican or Democratic ballot. However, the voter may
not vote for both Republicans and Democrats during
the Primary. There are no Reform or Independent Candidates
in Primary elections in Texas. If a person votes in the
Primary, they may not sign a petition for a candidate for
another party. Candidates from all parties will appear on
the General Election ballot in the November election.
Why does the Republican ballot have a proposition and
not the Democratic ballot, or vice versa?
The Primary elections are a political party event and
the party may choose to put a proposition on their Party's
ballot or not.
Why is it we hold a Joint Primary election?
Section 172.126 of the Texas Election Code
allows the Elections Administrator, Chairs of the Republican
and Democratic Parties to agree on this option, including a
majority vote of Commissioners Court. While this is not a
requirement it allows the voter to go to a single location
to select their preference.
I am in the military and want to vote but do not
currently live in Williamson County. How can I vote?
Each person in the military should obtain an FPCA (Federal
Post Card Application) Card from their unit of assignment or
from the
Federal Voting Assistance
Program
website. The card is to be mailed to:
Early Voting Clerk
301 SE Inner Loop, Ste 104
PO Box 209
Georgetown, TX 78627-0209
Please be sure to complete the
sections asking for Party Preference, the last address you
had in Williamson County, and sign the application. Without
this information, we cannot process the ballot request. When
we receive your ballot application, you will receive a full
ballot for the precinct corresponding to the precinct in
which your address is located. If your ballot application
was postmarked and received 30 days before an election, you
will receive a full ballot. If your ballot application was
received after these dates, you will receive a "limited
ballot" which allows you to vote for the Presidential, US
Senate and US Representative elections only.
The FPCA card is now valid for
two federal election cycles. The FPCA card cannot be used to
register to vote in local elections. If you live in
Williamson County, you must register in the same manner as
all other county residents. For further information, you are
invited to refer to the Texas
Secretary of State's
Office.
How can I vote by mail? I am not in the military.
You must be 65 or older on the day of the election, have a
disability, or be planning to be out of the county during
the election (we will have to send the ballot to an
out of county address in this last case).
You may request an
application for a ballot by mail by calling the Elections
Office at 512-943-1630 or by mailing a request to:
Early Voting Clerk
301 SE Inner Loop – Ste 104
PO Box 209
Georgetown, TX 78627-0209
We will mail you an application
for the ballot. Please read all the instructions, be sure to
indicate what election you want to vote in,
and be sure to sign the card. We will verify
the information when the application is returned, and mail
the ballot to you when they are available.
Why do I keep getting applications to vote by mail
when I don't ask for them?
The Williamson County Elections Department does not mail
un-requested applications to voters. Many times, candidates
or political action groups will work with a consultant and
mail applications to voters with a record of voting in
particular elections or for a particular party.
The forms you might receive look
very much like official forms, but if they are pre-printed,
you can be assured they came from an organization or person
not in the Elections Office. Also, the County does not pay
for either the application card you would receive in this
case nor the mailing. It is an expense by the organization
or candidates themselves.
The Texas Election Code
does not limit the Elections Office to official forms they
send out. If the form we receive has the necessary
information , we will process the application form.
Why didn't I get my application for a ballot this
year?
The Williamson County Elections Office does not send
applications for a ballot by mail to voters. If you have
received an application in the past, and on a regular basis,
then you are likely on a mailing list by some organization,
candidate, or consultant who has consistently paid to mail
you an application. If you did not receive the application
you were expecting, then none of those groups or people
mailed it to you this time.
Do I have to apply for a new ballot by mail for every
election?
Yes, you do. On the application for a ballot by
mail which is sent by the Williamson County Elections
Department, a form provided by the Texas Secretary of State
Elections Division, there is a box to check which tells us
that you want ballots for the mail election as well as the
runoff. You must check this box to receive a ballot for the
runoff if there is one. The FPCA card allows military voters
to request a ballot (if they are outside the county) for all
elections at the same time.
Can I get on a permanent mailing list so I do not have
to apply each time?
No, there is no such list in Texas.
For more
information, call the Elections Department at 512.943.1630
