(Seguin) — Guadalupe County’s top election official is sharing a few reminders with voters before heading out to the polls.
Lisa Hayes, Guadalupe County elections administrator, says the first important item is their ID.
“They should bring a photo ID, a Texas driver’s license, passport, military ID something of that nature because they need to present a voter ID when they vote,” said Hayes.
Upon having their information pulled up, Hayes says voters are reminded that they will either have to choose a Republican or Democratic ballot.
In Guadalupe County, there are a couple of locally contested races seeking the GOP nomination. Among those are the position of Guadalupe County Sheriff and Guadalupe County Commissioner Pct. 1.
There are no contested Democratic races for any of these positions. This means that if voters would like to vote for sheriff or want a say in Pct. 1, then they will have to ask for a Republican ballot when they arrive at their polling site.
While at the polling site, Hayes says voters will have to adhere to a few voting rules. She says these rules are designed to make the process fair and easy.
“We are not allowed to wear any kind of campaigning or election wearing gear within 100 feet of the polls. They can not have a recording device in the polling place which means they can’t be on their phone. They can’t bring their sample ballot on their phone. They can bring an actual paper sample ballot but they can’t plan on having their phone out in the polling place and that’s different than other states so I think it’s important for our voters especially who are new to our state to understand that the rules are a little bit different and if they have questions, they can definitely call the elections office and we are happy to walk them through those,” said Hayes.
Being unable to physically go inside a polling location should also not prevent someone from casting their vote.
Hayes says voters are encouraged to utilize or share with someone else about their curbside service.
“So the way curbside voting works is there should be two parking places at every polling place that is designated as a curbside voting parking spot. So, the voters just need to follow the instructions on the sign. They can call or text the number on the sign and let whoever answers the phone know that they are there to vote curbside and a poll worker will come out for their ID and begin the curbside voting process with the voter so the voter can vote from the convenience of their vehicle. The intention behind curbside voting is for voters who are physically unable to enter the polling place without causing themselves bodily harm. So, it’s a great tool for voters who want to have that in-person voting experience but just physically are not capable of entering the polling place and every one of our polling places has curbside voting early and election day,” said Hayes.
A total of 36 Vote Centers or polling locations will be open today from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The Vote Centers allow Guadalupe County residents to vote at any one of the polling locations throughout the county.
Election coverage, courtesy of Gift and Gourmet, will get underway today at 7:05 p.m.
Results can be heard live on AM 1580 KWED or at SeguinToday.com.