Dallas Unity

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Dallas Unity Vote 2008 Voter Education
Presentation
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Agenda 700-745 All about YP 745-815-
Networking 815-900- Meet the Committees
Election Day November 4, 2008 Last Day of
Early Voting October 31, 2008 Last Day to
Apply for Ballot by Mail October 28, 2008
First Day of Early Voting October 20, 2008
Last Day to Register to Vote October 6,
2008 First Day to Apply for Ballot by Mail
September 5, 2008
Important Link Election night returns
http//enr.sos.state.tx.us/enr
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Registering to vote is easy in Texas. It doesn't
even require a stamp!  You may register to vote
simply by filling out a Texas Voter Registration
application How to get an application? You may
obtain an application from the county Voter
Registrar's office, libraries, many post offices,
or high schools. You may also register to vote
when you apply for or renew your driver's
license. If you visit the State of Texas
website you may request that we send you an
official, postage-paid application.  Or, you may
download an informal application, but you will be
required to affix a stamp before mailing. 
(http//www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/voter/reqvr
.shtml )
Agenda 700-745 All about YP 745-815-
Networking 815-900- Meet the Committees
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Agenda 700-745 All about YP 745-815-
Networking 815-900- Meet the Committees

• You must be at least 17 years and 10 months of
  age on the date you apply.
• The application must be received in the Voter
  Registrar's office or postmarked 30 days before
  an election in order for you to be eligible to
  vote in that election. 
• All voters who registered to vote in Texas must
  provide a Texas driver's license number or I.D. 
  If not, you provide the last four digits of your
  social security number. 

Important Link Am I Registered?
https//voterinfo.sos.state.tx.us/voterws/viw/face
s/Introduction.jsp
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There are two ways to vote early in Texas. 1.
Early Voting in person- -Registered voters
may vote early at a location convenient to them
within their political subdivision. ltinsert
early voting locationgt -Early voting in
person generally starts 17 days before each
election and ends 4 days before each election.
- Curbside voting is available during early
voting and on Election Day. 2. Early Voting by
mail- 2. Early Voting by mail- -You may
vote early by mail if you are going to be away
from on Election Day and during early voting
sick or disabled 65 years of age or older on
Election Day or confined in jail, but eligible
to vote. -Applications for a ballot by mail
must be submitted to the early voting
clerk on or after the 60th day before Election
Day and before the close of business on
the 7th day before Election Day.
Agenda 700-745 All about YP 745-815-
Networking 815-900- Meet the Committees
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Candidate Side-by-Side http//www.sos.state.tx.us/
elections/candidates/general/2008gensbs.shtml
Candidates with Address http//www.sos.state
.tx.us/elections/forms/candidates/2008gen.pdf
Agenda 700-745 All about YP 745-815-
Networking 815-900- Meet the Committees
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• Step 1. When you arrive at the polling place, you
  will be asked for your voter registration card.
  The election official will verify that it matches
  your present address and then ask you to sign the
  list of people who have voted in the precinct.
• Step 2. Depending on the type of election -
  local, statewide, national, or combination - you
  will be handed
• A paper ballot on which you will select your
  choices and which will
• be counted by hand
• A paper ballot on which you will select your
  choices by darkening
• an oval or arrow directly or "marking" with the
  aid of a voting
• machine or
• A slip of paper with a numerical access code
  or, in some counties, a
• ballot activator card. In the next available
  voting booth, enter your
• code or card and let the on-screen instructions
  guide you through
• the process of electronic voting.

Agenda 700-745 All about YP 745-815-
Networking 815-900- Meet the Committees
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• You will vote in the precinct in which you are
  registered.
• Most newspapers print precinct polling places and
  addresses in the days before an election.
• As well, you can polling place information here
  http//www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/voter/where.s
  html

Agenda 700-745 All about YP 745-815-
Networking 815-900- Meet the Committees
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• Lesson One You have to register.
• If you are a Texas Resident
• If you're a student that spends time in different
  locations, but want to vote in Texas, you need to
  decide which place in you consider your permanent
  home.
• You cannot register in more than one location
  if you register at a voter registration drive in
  one county, but put another Texas county as your
  home on the application, your application will be
  forwarded to the Texas county of your residence
  description.
• If you are registered at one location in Texas,
  and will be away from your home Texas county
  during early voting and on election day, and wish
  to vote by mail, you can request hat a ballot by
  mail be sent to you.
• If you are not a Texas resident
• If you consider yourself a permanent resident of
  another state, you will need to consult with the
  authorities in that state for their registration
  and ballot by mail procedures. http//www.fec.gov/
  pubrec/cfsdd/cfsdd.htm

Agenda 700-745 All about YP 745-815-
Networking 815-900- Meet the Committees
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Lesson Two Voting away from home. If youre
attending a college or university away from home,
you can vote early by mail if you claimed as your
primary residence the address where you live
while not attending school in other words, where
Mom and Dad live. To request that an early
voting ballot be sent to the address where you
are physically planning to be at Election time
(at school), you must fill out an early voting
ballot request application.
Agenda 700-745 All about YP 745-815-
Networking 815-900- Meet the Committees
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Did you move within your county? If you moved
from one place to another in the same county,
you'll need to notify the Voter Registrar in your
county in writing of your new address Did you
move to another county? If you moved to another
county, YOU MUST RE-REGISTER Did you change your
name? Promptly notify your county Voter Registrar
in writing of the change.
Agenda 700-745 All about YP 745-815-
Networking 815-900- Meet the Committees
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As a registered voter in Texas, you have the
right to 1. A ballot with written instructions
on how to cast the ballot. 2. Cast your vote in
secret and free from intimidation. 3. Receive up
to two more ballots if you make a mistake while
marking the ballot. 4. Ask the polling place
official for instructions on how to cast the
ballot (but not for suggestions on how to vote).
5. Bring an interpreter to assist you as you
qualify to vote if you do not understand the
English language. 6. Help to cast your ballot if
you cannot write, see the ballot, or understand
the language in which it is written. 7. Bring
written materials into the voting booth to assist
you as you cast your ballot.
Agenda 700-745 All about YP 745-815-
Networking 815-900- Meet the Committees
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As a registered voter in Texas, you have the
right to 8. Report a possible voting rights
abuse to the Secretary of State (1.800.252.8683)
or to your local election official. 9. Cast a
provisional ballot if your name does not appear
on the list of registered voters or you do not
have proper identification. 10. Vote once at any
early voting location during the early voting
period within the territory conducting the
election. 11. File an administrative complaint
with the Secretary of State concerning violations
of federal and state voting procedures.
Agenda 700-745 All about YP 745-815-
Networking 815-900- Meet the Committees
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Do I have to register before every election? No.
Once you register to vote, you shouldnt have to
register again, so long as you dont move out of
the county where you were first registered. For
complete information, refer to http//www.votexas.
org/didyouchangesomething.html Do I have to
bring an I.D. with me to register to
vote? Identification is not required to register
to vote in Texas, but you must take either your
voter registration certificate or acceptable
identification when you vote. For complete
information, refer to http//www.votexas.org/stepo
ne_needid.html Must I declare a political party
affiliation when I register? No, though when you
vote in a primary election, your vote will
determine your party affiliation for the rest of
the year. I registered, but I never received a
notice from the Voter Registration Office.
Contact your local Voter Registration Office to
confirm your registration status, 30 days before
Election Day.
Agenda 700-745 All about YP 745-815-
Networking 815-900- Meet the Committees
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• For more information on voting and voting
  procedures, contact
• The Secretary of States office toll-free at
  
• 1.800.252.8683
• Your County Clerk (listed in the blue pages of
  your
• telephone book)
• Your County Elections Administrator
• Your Voter Registrar (Tax Assessor-Collector)
• The Secretary of States office online at
• www.sos.state.tx.us

Agenda 700-745 All about YP 745-815-
Networking 815-900- Meet the Committees