What brings people out of their homes to exercise free expression? We all have personal interests that bring us to take action and use time out of our day to emphasize just how much they mean to us. Whether it’s by vote or costume, if you can celebrate Halloween on Oct. 31, you can vote by Nov. 3.
Many people get caught in a similar situation. The end of October comes, and they realize they don’t have a costume for Halloween yet. Maybe that was you this year and you looked in your closet to see if there was an idea you could craft up with clothes you already had. Even though it’s the most anticipated day of the month, and your peers have been discussing it non-stop, you debate, how much do I actually want to spend on a costume? Do I even really have the time to put this costume together? It becomes an exhausting task and you think that you might not even participate in Halloween anymore.
Similar feelings of discouragement are what may prevent people from voting. Maybe they’ve been too busy and waiting in early voting lines is time-consuming. Much like during Halloween, maybe everyone else already had their costume ready to go and you’ve been wanting to dress up before people stop understanding your reference. People want to participate, but there are obstacles. If you found yourself in that position but still found your way to a Halloween mixer, trick-or-treating, a haunted house, or watching a horror film, consider taking the same amount of time to go out and vote.
Don’t know where to begin? Here’s what you need to know to vote in Texas this midterm election.
During the early voting period, registered and eligible voters can vote at any early voting location located in their county of residence. On Election Day, you can vote at any polling location if you reside in a county participating in the Countywide Polling Place Program (CPPP), which usually applies to larger counties. Residents residing in counties not participating in the CPPP must at their assigned precinct to vote in person.
You must bring one of the seven acceptable forms of photo ID with you to the polls. This includes a Texas Driver License, Texas Election Identification Certificate, Texas Personal Identification Card, Texas Handgun License issued by the Department of Public Safety (DPS), United States Military Identification Card containing the person’s photograph, United States Citizenship Certificate containing the person’s photograph, or a United States Passport book or card. If you do not have one of the seven approved forms of photo ID, you may fill out a Reasonable Impediment Declaration at the polls and present an alternative form of ID, such as a utility bill, bank statement, government check, or a voter registration certificate.
As required by law, each polling place must designate a curbside parking space for curbside voting. For voters who are physically unable to enter the polling place, an election officer will bring a ballot to the entrance of the polling place or to a car parked outside. The election officer may submit the marked ballot into the ballot box, or the voter may request that a companion hand the voter a ballot and deposit it for them.