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Early Voting is Underway - Here’s Where and When You Can Vote (Updated)

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Update 2 (Nov. 5): Early voting is over in Austin, but on Election Day (Nov. 6) Austin voters can cast ballots at any polling place in Travis County.

Update (Nov. 2): Today is the last day to cast a ballot during early voting. Most early voting locations are open until 7 p.m. but the "Mega Voting Site" at Highland Mall will be open until 9 p.m.

So far, more than 202,000 Travis County voters have cast a ballot—that’s about 32 percent of registered voters.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 6.

Capital Metro is offering free rideson all buses and the MetroRail throughout the day on Election Day to help people get to the polls.

On Election Day, Travis County voters do not have to cast a ballot at their precinct but can vote at any polling location in the county.

Update (Oct. 29): More than 117,000 ballots were cast in the first week of early voting in Travis County, according to unofficial totalsreleased by the Travis County Clerk’s office. These numbers show that more than 18 percent of the county’s 634,000 registered voters have shown up at the polls so far.    

Early voting continues this week. Beginning Wednesday, the Highland Mall early voting location will stay open until 9 p.m. to accommodate more of those who wish to participate.

Because traditional voting patterns show that half of registered voters don't vote until Election Day, the Travis County Clerk's office is encouraging people to take advantage of early voting to avoid long lines on Election Day. 

Early voting ends on Friday, Nov. 2.  Polls will reopen on Election Day, Nov. 6.

Original post (Oct. 22): Early voting is underway in Texas for the November election.

Travis County voters can begin casting ballots starting this morning at any of 23 polling locations or one of several mobile locations. (You can view a map below.) Included in the locations this year is what the Travis County Clerk's office is calling a “Voting Megasite” at Highland Mall. It features 40 voting stations and extra staff to help reduce wait and line times.

The polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. today through Saturday, 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. next Monday and Tuesday, and 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. next Wednesday through Friday.

Early voting continues through Friday, Nov. 2.

Travis County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir says this year's Travis County ballot is lengthy and may take up to 10 minutes to complete. DeBeauvoir suggests voters make notes on paper and bring their notes with them into the voting booths. Mobile devices and cell phones are not allowed in voting booths.

Voters may present either their voter registration card or another form of identification to cast a ballot. Photo ID is not required. A list of acceptable identification documents can be found here or by calling (512) 238-VOTE (8683).

Some voters may be eligible to vote by mail. The deadline for application for ballot by mail is Oct. 30. 

More Texans than ever before are registered to vote in this election—13.64 million people. Presidential elections typically bring more voters to the polls. In 2008, more than 402,000 Travis County residents voted in the presidential election.

View Travis County Early Voting Locations for the November 6, 2012 Election in a larger map

Laura first joined the KUT team in April 2012. She now works for the statewide program Texas Standard as a reporter and producer. Laura came to KUT from the world of television news. She has worn many different hats as an anchor, reporter and producer at TV stations in Austin, Amarillo and Toledo, OH. Laura is a proud graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia, a triathlete and enjoys travel, film and a good beer. She enjoys spending time with her husband and pets.
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