Right now, we’re less than 30 days away from 2020 Election Day and that means early voting is fast approaching. No matter who you vote for or where you vote, voting is one of the best ways to let your representatives know what you care about. So before you head out to the polls to cast your vote, here are a few things to know beforehand.
Early Voting is from Oct. 13 to Oct. 30
Early voting will officially begin next Tuesday before ending on Oct. 30, four days before Election Day. Depending on where and when you vote, the hours will be different. Since Southlake stretches from Tarrant County into Denton County, where you live affects how you vote. In Denton County, polling locations will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. all throughout the early voting period, with the exception of Oct. 18 and Oct. 25 — which are Sundays. The polls will be open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on those days.
For Tarrant County voters, the polls will be open on Oct. 13 to Oct. 23 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with the exception of Oct. 18, when they are closed. On Oct. 24, the polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 25. On the last week of early voting, Tarrant County voting locations will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Southlake Will Have One Early Voting Location
During the early voting period, Southlake Town Hall will be open as an early voting location. However, during the early voting period, voters can vote anywhere in their county. If you live in the Tarrant County part of Southlake, early voting locations near Southlake include Keller Town Hall, Colleyville Public Library, The REC of Grapevine and the Dan Echols Center in North Richland Hills.
For those who live in the Denton County part of Southlake, early voting locations include the Roanoke Public Library, the Trophy Club MUD No. 1 building, the Flower Mound Senior Center and the Flower Mound Town Hall. If you’re unsure about where you can vote, voters can look up their voter registration on the Texas Secretary of State’s website.
Campaign Merchandise Cannot Be Worn While Voting
When you go to vote early, make sure to be mindful of what you wear. Wearing any campaign t-shirts, buttons or hats inside or within 100 feet of a polling place constitutes electioneering, which is against the law. Electioneering is a Class C misdemeanor which comes with a fine up to $500. While you can be arrested for this, it’s highly likely that you’ll be asked to turn your shirt inside out, put on a jacket or come back without partisan clothing on, according to the Texas Tribune.
There’s Still Time to Request A Mail-In Ballot
If you’re going to be out of your county on Election Day and during early voting, are sick or disabled, are 65 or older on Election Day or are in jail, you can request a ballot to vote by mail in the state of Texas. The last day to request a mail-in ballot for this election is Oct. 23 and mail-in ballots will be counted until Nov. 4 as long as they are postmarked as being in the mail on Nov. 3. You can request an application to vote by mail from the early voting clerk in your location or fill out an application from the Texas Secretary of State’s office to give to an early voting clerk.
Election Day is Nov. 3
With all these dates, it’s important to note that Election Day will be on Nov. 3. If you choose to vote on Election Day, you will need to vote at a specific location, instead of just in your county. Your Election Day polling place can be found by looking up your voter registration and Election Day polling places will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. If you are still in line to vote by 7 p.m., you will be able to stay in line and vote. ID will be needed no matter if you vote early or on Election Day and the acceptable forms of ID can be found on the Texas Secretary of State’s website.