Williamson County Primary Voting: What You Need To Know Now

WILLIAMSON, COUNTY, TX — Today is Election Day for the primary races, with many key races on Democratic and Republican ballots. Early voting started Tuesday, Feb. 20, for both party primaries, and voters will be able to potentially make history as they cast ballots in the country's first primary election this year.

A wide array of contests are up for grabs in the primaries elections, from races for governor, lieutenant governor and statewide legislative seats. Also at stake are contests for the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.

Williamson County voters can visit wilco.org/elections for a list of polling places and other voting-related information. Early voting for the March 6 primary runs from Tuesday through March 2. Those wishing to vote for the March 6 primary must have registered to do so by Feb. 5. The last day to apply for a ballot by mail is Feb. 23, and applications must be received by that date (not merely postmarked).

A form of identification is required to vote in Texas, so don't forget to take that along when you go to the ballot box. A list of seven acceptable forms of ID ensures a wider swath of residents to exercise their right to vote per a U.S. Department of Justice order for their inclusion last year. That and a federal court order compelled Texas to revamp their previously draconian requirements deemed to be in non-compliance of the Voting Rights Act — with the net effect of diluting a minority voting bloc that tends to vote Democratic in a Republican-controlled state.

Texas was ordered to make those seven forms of ID acceptable to vote on all elections beginning on or after Jan. 1, 2018 — including the March 6 primary elections. Justice officials also compelled Texas officials to accept supplemental forms of identification should a voter not possess one of the seven forms of acceptable ID — including a current utility bill or bank statement.

According to the Texas Secretary of State website, the seven forms of accepted identification (List A) are:

• Texas Driver License issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS);
• Texas Personal Identification Card issued by DPS;
• Texas Election Identification Certificate issued by DPS;
• Texas Handgun License issued by DPS;
• United States Military Identification Card containing the person's photograph;
• United States Citizenship Certificate containing the person's photograph;
• United States Passport (book or card).

Texas was previously ordered to allow people who do not possess either of the seven forms of ID to show a supplemental form. To achieve this, a voter now has the ability to sign a "Reasonable Impediment Declaration" and present a copy of or original of the following forms of identification:

• A government document that shows the voter's name and an address, including the voter's voter registration certificate.
• Current utility bill.
• Bank statement.
• Government check.
• Paycheck.
• A certified domestic (from a U.S. state or territory) birth certificate or
(b) a document confirming birth admissible in a court of law which
establishes the voter's identity (which may include a foreign birth
document).
In another update to past voting practices:

• For voters aged 18-69, an acceptable identification from "List A" must not have expired more than 4 years before being presented at the polling place.
• A person 70 years of age or older may use a form of identification from List A that has expired if the identification is otherwise valid.

Texas Secretary of State officials note that procedures are different than some previous elections where the expiration date was required to be not more than 60 days. Remember, some ID cards do not expire, officials wrote, including:

• Texas Identification Cards for persons aged 60 or older may be permanent and marked "INDEF."
• Texas Election Identification Certificates (EIC) for persons aged 70 or older are permanent cards.
• Some military ID cards are permanent, including Uniformed Services ID cards and Veterans Affairs ID cards. These are usually marked "INDEF."
• Certificates of Naturalization and Certificates of Citizenship do not expire.

If you would like to vote but find yourself unfamiliar with candidate political platforms, the League of Women Voters historically offers a thorough and useful primer. Check out this year's version at lwvaustin.org.

Related story: Federal Court Rules Texas Maps Were Intentionally Drawn To Weaken Minority Vote

To see the Democrat Joint Primary Sample Ballot, click here. For the Republican Joint Primary Sample Ballot, click here. For more information on voting in Texas, read the section titled "Providing Identification for Voting in Texas" on the Texas Secretary of State website.

For a list of polling places in Williamson County, click here.

Here is the schedule for full-time voting locations in Williamson County:

Tuesday, Feb. 20 through Friday, Feb. 23 - 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 24 - 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 25 - noon to 6 p.m.

Monday, Feb. 26 through Friday, March 2 - 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Here's a list of polling locations for Williamson County voters:

• Williamson County Inner Loop Annex, 301 SE Inner Loop, Georgetown
• Georgetown ISD Administration Building, 603 Lakeway Drive, Georgetown
• Georgetown Parks and Recreation Administration Building, 1101 N. College Street, Georgetown
• Cowan Creek Amenity Center, 1433 Cool Spring Way, Georgetown
• Baca Senior Center, 301 W. Bagdad Avenue, Round Rock
• Brushy Creek Community Center, 16318 Great Oaks Drive, Round Rock
• Round Rock Randalls, 2051 Gattis School Road, Round Rock
• JB and Hallie Jester Annex, 1801 E. Old Settlers Boulevard, Round Rock
• Anderson Mill Limited District, 11500 El Salido Parkway, Austin
• Cedar Park Public Library, 550 Discovery Boulevard, Cedar Park
• Cedar Park Randalls, 1400 Cypress Creek Road, Cedar Park
• Leander Public Library, 1011 S Bagdad Rd, Leander
• Hutto ISD Administration Building, 200 College Street, Hutto
• Taylor City Hall, 400 Porter Street, Taylor

SCHEDULE FOR MOBILE - TEMPORARY LOCATIONS:

• Tuesday, Feb. 20 (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.): Florence City Hall, 106 S Patterson St, Florence
• Wednesday, Feb. 21 (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.): Cedar Park Fire Dept. Station #4, 150 Church Park Rd., Cedar Park
• Thursday, Feb. 22 (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.): Clairmont Retirement Community, 12463 Los Indios Trail, Austin
• Friday, Feb. 23 (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.): SPJST Hall, 114 W Davilla St, Granger
• Saturday, Feb. 24 (10 a.m. to 7 p.m.): Williamson County Annex, 3407 RR 1869, Liberty Hill
• Sunday, Feb. 25 (noon to 6 p.m.): Williamson County Annex, 3407 RR 1869, Liberty Hill
• Monday, Feb. 26 (10 a.m. to 7 p.m.): Jarrell Memorial Park Community Center, 1651 CR 305, Jarrell
• Tuesday, Feb. 27 (10 a.m. to 7 p.m.): Bartlett Town Hall, 140 W Clark St, Bartlett
• Wednesday, February 28 (10 a.m. to 7 p.m.): Thrall High School, Library Annex, 601 S Bounds St, Thrall
• Thursday, March 1 - Friday, March 2: No mobile voting

*Subject to change*

For more information, visit the Williamson County website.

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