Today is Election Day. Let’s quickly run down the voter prep list. First: Figure out what’s on the ballot. Then: Find a place to vote. Remember you can vote at any polling place in Travis County on Election Day. Finally, remember to bring some sort of identification.
First let’s run down the list of things that count as a photo ID for the purposes of voting:
- Driver’s License
- Texas Personal Identification Card
- U.S. Military ID
- Passport
- U.S. Citizenship Certificate
- Concealed Handgun License
If you don’t have any of those, you can get at Election Identification Certificate (EIC). However, getting an EIC requires a whole new set of documents that prove you’re a U.S. citizen, that you are who you say you are, that you live in Texas and that you’re eligible to vote. So, a birth certificate and recent electric bill should do it –maybe a work or school photo ID, too.
You can get an EIC at any Texas Driver License office. They’re free, and they last for 6 years – unless you’re 70 or older, then it never expires.
Now, you might have heard that the state law requiring a photo ID to vote is being challenged in court. That’s true, but the case is ongoing, which is why the law is still in effect for this election. Both sides in the case hope to have everything settled well before November 2016.
As for the ballot, voters across Texas will have to decide on seven constitutional amendments, which were outlined in our "Better Know Your Ballot Series," which you can view at our topic page or listen to below in the player.
Travis County voters will also decide the fate of a $287 million bond proposal to build a new courthouse to replace the 77-year-old Heman Marion Sweatt Courthouse. You can view our coverage of the courthouse bond here.
