Travis, Williamson County Officials Poised For Record-Setting Voting Levels Amid Changed Landscape

AUSTIN, TX — The Nov. 8 election in Texas is like no other, and it's not just because of the uniqueness of the two candidates running for president — a businessman/reality-star-turned-politician and the first woman in U.S. history ever to secure her party's nomination.

This year, dynamics have emerged that have ginned up the election cycle with some new developments unprecedented: The passage of "open carry" allowing people to carry their handguns openly; a federal court's rejection of a longstanding Voter ID law that was ruled unconstitutional; an amplified list of acceptable documents required to vote; and the urging of one candidate imploring with his followers to act as voting site monitors to avert voter fraud all factor into the mix at this year's voting sites.

Ballots, not bullets: Leave your guns at home

On Jan. 1, the state passed the "open carry" law that allows registered gun owners to walk around with their holstered guns in plain view. Conservative lawmakers championed the law, aggressively pushing for its enactment along with a "campus carry" version allowing concealed gun owners to carry their weapons on college campuses.

The law's passage prompted an untold number of businesses to essentially "opt out" of the law, an allowable provision predicated on the placement of specially made signs on storefront windows alerting the businesses don't allow guns inside. Numerous private universities in Texas also opted out, but state-funded universities have been forced to comply given their state-funded status.

Add polling sites to the growing list of places where you can't bring your guns. Elections officials in Travis and Williamson counties told Patch that guns won't be allowed inside voting sites, and the aforementioned signs will remind voters of the ban.

"In spite of the open carry law, there is law that supersedes it," Chris Davis, elections administrator for Williamson County, told Patch in a telephone interview.

Ginny Ballard, a spokeswoman for the Travis County Clerk's Office, told Patch guns won't be allowed at Travis County voting sites either.

"Texas Election Code and the Texas Penal code do not allow firearms in polling locations except by licensed peace officers," she wrote in an email in answering questions posed by Patch. "Although signage isn’t required, Travis County polling locations will all have signage outlining the statutes."

Amplified list of documentation broadens voter base

In July, the 5th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals struck down the state's Voter ID law — widely considered the most restrictive in the country — as being in non-compliance with the Voting Rights Act. Critics of the law saw it more as a way of marginalizing blocs of voters — particularly minorities — given the insistence of a photo ID in order to vote. One of the seven acceptable forms of ID, a concealed handgun permit, gave credence to the criticism that the laws were designed to facilitate a certain segment of the voting public and exclude others, given the penchant for gun ownership among many conservatives.

Despite the court's ruling, the U.S. Department of Justice in September chastised Texas for not adequately conveying to voters other documents elections officials must accept at the polling places. With the DOJ's rebuke, state officials were also ordered to launch a television campaign alerting voters of the other allowable forms of ID beyond the rigors of its stringent Voter ID law.

The court order has changed the rules. For the first time in years, people will be able to vote with more than just the seven allowable forms of ID: Texas driver's license; Texas Election Identification Certificate; Texas Personal Identification card; Texas License to Carry a Concealed Handgun; U.S. military ID card; U.S. citizenship certificate; and U.S. passport.

After the court rejected that list as being the sole requirement to cast a vote, other forms of identification will now be allowed in order to vote upon signing a declaration explaining why the voter was unable to obtain one of the seven allowable ID forms. Once done, a voter can also cast a ballot by showing a choice among supporting documents now allowable. Since the passage of the Texas Voter ID law, only seven documents were allowable forms of identification before voting:

• Valid voter registration certificate
• Certified birth certificate
• Copy of or original current utility bill
• Copy of or originally government check
• Copy of or original paycheck
• Copy of or original government document with voter's name and address (original required if it contains a photograph)

The Texas Secretary of State's Office has updated the new requirements on www.VoteTexas.gov and its agency website www.sos.state.tx.us.

New dynamics likely bolstering voter ranks

Asked if Travis County officials anticipate higher voter turnout given the new flexibility by virtue of the new rules, Ballard said several factors go into an election turnout, including the new allowable forms of identification.

"There are many factors involved with increased voter turnout," she wrote in an email. "Higher number of registered voters, increased interest in this election, and increased number of acceptable forms of photo ID may influence voter turnout."

Williamson County's Davis adds that poll workers aren't allowed to challenge the validity of the now-allowable supporting documents. "Accommodations are now in effect, and our poll workers are not allowed to question our voters," he said. "That's the twist."

Imagined specter of voter fraud concerning

As he drops in the polls, GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump has taken to claiming the system is rigged, encouraging his followers to be vigilant while voting to root out voter fraud. In their defense of their now-disallowed Voter ID law, conservative lawmakers in Texas also have predicated their actions on the need to protect against voter fraud they say is rampant.

Yet the claims are not supported by data, which has shown incidences of voter fraud to be negligible. Critics of the voter-fraud-crying crowd like to note that the chances of being struck by lightning in Texas are exponentially greater than finding legitimate cases of voter fraud.

"You've got to get every one of your friends," Trump told followers in Akron, Ohio, in August, in a variation of his oft-repeated claims of likely cheating designed to sway the vote to his Democratic challenger, Hillary Clinton. "You've got to get every one of your family," The Hill reported him saying. "You've got to get everybody to go out and watch. And go out and vote. And when I say watch, you know what I'm talking about, right? You know what I'm taking about. I think you got to go out and you got to watch."

Such rhetoric concerns some elections officials with the potential for voter intimidation at polling sites with those adhering to the claims or those inclined to take Trump's charge in acting as unofficial poll watchers.

"I don't know that it's an epidemic, but to a hammer, everything looks like a nail," Davis said. "It's that image and perception that is causing the most damage, the perception of rigged elections. We would hate to think it has a suppressing effect. I hope not."

Appointed poll watchers are given access to poll counting by elections officials, Davis said.

"We want to lean on the side of transparency," he said. "From the presidential race to the lowly dogcatcher city race, we appoint poll watchers."

When media are taken to a warehouse for tabulation, approved poll watchers are allowed to watch the process of counting up votes: "There's not a lot to see, but poll watchers can be there to watch the process."

Ballard added that not everyone can be a sanctioned elections observer, and poll watchers must meet certain guidelines. "Poll watchers are regulated by statute in Texas. You may find the poll watchers guide on the Texas Secretary of State's website that outlines the duties, necessary credentials, and number of poll watchers allowed in each polling location."

In Williamson County, thorough safeguards are implemented to prevent intrusions from hackers who may attempt to manipulate the results, including having a decentralized system that is not tied to the internet.

"Every one of our counties is responsible for keeping their lists of registered voters," he said. "That's essentially the bible, and copies are synchronized or sent to the all-encompassing voter registry. The system we have here in Williamson County is not in the network, not connectable to the internet, and is standalone."

While not in the field, computers are kept under lock and key, tracked with serial numbers and installed with tamper-proof seals, he said. The units are isolated from networks and armed with removable media.

"No system is foolproof," Davis noted. "Given time and access, anybody can hack any system. But our system if kept under lock and at the end of election day, the media comes back to us with the results."

Originally from Brownsville, Texas, Davis will be working his first presidential election this year. He said voter fraud is more impactful on an election in remote pockets of South Texas, where a small number of fraudulent votes could sway an election. But overall, the negligible numbers don't pose such a threat in the presidential election, others have noted.

Davis added it's far easier to manipulate data via paper ballots than it is with computer hacking.

The net effect for this year's unique election has been a record number of people registering to vote in Texas. Last month, the secretary of state's office reported that 15 million had registered to vote in the upcoming Nov. 8 election, a record level for the state.

The drive toward voter registration in the state has at times taken interesting and innovative turns. Last month, the secretary of state's office reminded eligible students they're now able to register with their own high school principal.

“Texas law has a unique provision that requires high school principals, or their designees, to serve as a voter registrar,” said Secretary Carlos H. Cascos. “I encourage all high school principals to offer this opportunity before the October 11 registration deadline for the November election.”

Students taking the option were able to register if they are a U.S. citizen and have reached the age of 17 years and 10 months. To vote in an election, a Texan must be 18 years old by Election Day. In addition to students, high school principals or their designee may also register employees of their schools, Cascos added.

“By providing voting education and registration opportunities to young Texans now, we can help them create life-long voting habits to carry throughout adulthood,” he said.

The last day to register to vote in Texas was Oct. 11. But for those with additional questions related to voter registration and voting in general, visit VoteTexas.gov or call 1-800-252-VOTE. The last day for early voting is Nov. 4.

>>> Image via Shutterstock