El Pasoans will start going to the polls Monday for the November general elections, where they’ll have their say on every office from president to mayor to Congress to school board members. Early voting continues through Friday, Nov. 1, and Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5.
El Paso rarely has long lines for elections, and for most voters, casting a ballot likely will take only a few minutes. But you can speed the process, and feel more confident, if you create a voting plan ahead of time.
Here’s what you need to make your voting plan.
Make sure you’re registered to vote
To participate in an election in Texas, you have to be registered at least 30 days before Election Day. So if you registered to vote before Oct. 7, you can cast a ballot.
You can click here to check to see if you’re registered. If you’re still unsure, call the El Paso County Elections Department at 915-546-2154.
Know what will be on your ballot
When you go to vote, you’ll be given a ballot that will have candidates in a number of races. You don’t have to wait until you vote to know what your ballot will look like.
You can click here to create a personalized sample ballot.
You are allowed to print out the sample ballot, mark it with your choices, and take it to the polls with you to help you remember how you want to vote. The sample ballot is not an official ballot, so you’ll still need to enter your choices on an official ballot.
While you can take paper material to the polls to help you in voting, you won’t be able to use electronic devices, including cellphones.
Learn about the candidates
You may have received campaign mailers from candidates that give you a little information about them. Or you may have had a candidate or one of their supporters come to your door to talk. Those are good ways to learn at least a little bit about the candidates.
Voter guides can offer you more information about candidates. For local races, El Paso Matters has a thorough voter guide in which all candidates were asked to answer five questions about key issues in their races. Most candidates responded.
You can see the digital version of the El Paso Matters Voter Guide by clicking here.
Print versions of this voter guide are available in both English and Spanish at El Paso Public Library branches.
For statewide races, including the U.S. Senate, the Texas League of Women Voters has voter guides in English, Spanish, Vietnamese and Chinese that you can access by clicking here.
Decide how to cast your ballot
Texas voters have three means of voting – absentee voting by mail, in-person early voting and in-person Election Day voting. In El Paso, most voters choose in-person early voting.
Absentee voting by mail is more restricted in Texas than in most other states. Only these people are eligible to vote by mail:
65 years of age or older on Election Day.
Sick or disabled.
Expecting to give birth within three weeks before or after Election Day.
Absent from the county of registration during the early voting period and on Election Day.
Civilly committed under Chapter 841 of the Texas Health and Safety Code.
Confined in jail, but otherwise eligible.
If you are eligible for a mail ballot, you must request it by Oct. 25. More information is available by clicking here.
All registered voters who are eligible to vote in the election can vote in-person either during the early voting period Oct. 21-Nov. 1, or on Election Day, Nov. 5.
You can cast your ballot at an early voting site or Election Day voting center.
You can find voting dates, times and sites for early voting here. On Election Day, polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. For locations of Election Day vote centers, click here.
Casting your vote
For in-person early voting or Election Day voting, you’ll need to check in with an election official.
They will ask you to present an ID. Texas requires one of seven forms of identification, most commonly a driver’s license. If you don’t have one of those seven forms of ID, you can provide supporting documents, such as your voter registration card or a utility bill with your name and address.
If you go to a polling place without an acceptable ID or adequate supporting documents, you can request a provisional ballot. You then have six days to provide the El Paso County Elections Department with proper identification, or your provisional ballot will be rejected.
Election workers learn about accepting identifications from voters during a training by the El Paso County Elections Department ahead of the March 5 primary, Monday, Feb. 12. (Corrie Boudreaux/El Paso Matters)
After verifying your identification, election workers will give you a paper ballot that you will insert into a voting machine.
If you have a question about the voting process at any stage, it’s OK to ask an election worker for help.
At the voting machine, you’ll see instructions on inserting your ballot form. You can choose English or Spanish instructions on the screen.
Remember, you can bring in a printed sample ballot or other written notes to help you remember which candidates you support. You cannot use a phone or other electronic device for notes. And definitely no selfies in the polling place.
You’ll see a number of races on the screen, and be asked to select one candidate in each race. You can skip individual races if you want. After going through each of the races, you’ll get a summary of your choices on the screen. Review the summary carefully to make sure it accurately shows your choices. If you see a mistake, you can go back to that race and make a correction.
When you think the summary is accurate, push the button to print your ballot.
Review the printed ballot to make sure it reflects your choices. If you see a problem or are unsure of something, ask an election worker for help. When you’re sure the ballot is what you want to cast, go to a ballot box and insert the form. Election workers will be available to help at this step if needed.
Then, just make sure to get your “I voted” sticker.
The post Make a plan to vote in 2024 elections in El Paso appeared first on El Paso Matters.
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