Just in case you missed it, this is an election year! Although the pandemic has made voting, like everything else, more challenging, don’t let that keep you from casting your ballot! Every vote counts.
This blog post will go over the details you need to know to make sure you are registered, make a plan for voting, and be prepared when you go to the polls. Want to know how to get started? In a video at the end of this post, Stephen Colbert provides an intro to voting for Texas in 2020!
For now, let’s get into the nitty-gritty.
Register. You must register to vote. Unfortunately, by the time this blog post comes out, the deadline to register (10/5) will have passed. But you can at least check your registration status before you go to the polls.
Do you think you are already registered to vote in Texas? Make sure here: https://teamrv-mvp.sos.texas.gov/MVP/mvp.do
From out of state? Check your registration status here: https://vote.gov/
How to vote:
Vote by mail. Texas is one of only 6 states that have not expanding voting by mail in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. See this map for an overview of mail-in voting in the U.S. this election season: https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/politics/vote-by-mail-states/
If you want to check to see if you qualify to vote by mail, the Texas Tribune has a useful guide: https://www.texastribune.org/2020/08/21/vote-by-mail-texas/ For students who are registered at home outside of Nueces County, absentee voting by mail may be an option! Nueces County residents wishing to apply to vote by mail can visit this page for more information: https://www.nuecesco.com/county-services/county-clerk/elections-department/ballot-by-mail
If voting by mail, be sure you understand all rules and deadlines!
Early voting. Multiple sites will be open for early voting October 13 – October 30. At TAMU-CC, the early voting site is O’Connor Building Room 135. For other early voting locations in Nueces County, see https://www.nuecesco.com/home/showdocument?id=26352 . If you are registered in Nueces County, you can vote at any Nueces County voting location.
Voting on Election Day, November 3. On Election Day, if you are registered in Nueces County, you can vote at any Nueces County voting location. The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. CST. You can see a full list of all voting locations on the Texas Secretary of State’s website: https://teamrv-mvp.sos.texas.gov/MVP/mvp.do
Tools to Help you Be a Prepared, Informed Voter:
BetterKnowABallot.com: https://www.betterknowaballot.com/TX
Includes information about voting by mail, early voting, etc.
https://TurboVote.org: check your registration status and sign up for election alerts!
Campus Vote Project Student Voting Guide for Texas: https://www.campusvoteproject.org/stateguides/texas
Vote411.org: https://vote411.org
Find your races, search campaign finance and candidate information, and more!
Corpus Christi League of Women Voters: https://my.lwv.org/texas/corpus-christi
The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan voter education organization. The League does not support candidates or political parties.
Update: Bell Library currently has copies of the League of Women Voters’ Election Voters Guide available for free!
