The Smith County Elections Office sent out 8,447 mail-in ballots requested by Smith County voters Thursday.
If you have applied for a mail-in ballot and are eligible to receive one, it should be on its way to you through the U.S. Postal Service. Be on the lookout for an 11 ½ by 4 ½ green envelope with the “Official Election Mail” seal on the front.
To be eligible to vote early by mail in Texas, you must:
- be 65 years or older;
- be sick or disabled;
- be out of the county on election day and during the period for early voting by personal appearance; or
- be confined in jail, but otherwise eligible.
For those wanting to vote by mail, you can still apply to receive a mail-in ballot by calling 903-590-4777 or visiting www.votetexas.gov. The deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot is October 23.
When you receive your mail-in ballot, mark it with your votes and mail it in via the U.S. Postal Service (don’t forget a stamp!) or contract courier such as UPS or FedEx. You can also hand deliver your own ballot with your photo ID to the Elections Office, 302 E. Ferguson, anytime during business hours, up until 7 p.m. on Election Day, November 3.
If you deliver it in person, you will be required to sign a log and show your photo ID. The deadline to receive the ballot is Election Day, but it will be counted if it is received on November 4, as long as it has been postmarked for November 3, Elections Administrator Karen Nelson said.
To report concerns of fraud or for questions about the mail-in ballot process or guidelines, call the Texas Secretary of State Elections Division, at 1-800-252-8683.
For more information about applying to vote by mail, visit: https://www.sos.texas.gov/elections/voter/reqabbm.shtml
IMPORTANT ELECTION DATES
The deadline to register to vote for national, state and local races in the upcoming election is Monday, October 5. It is also the last day to change your address if you have moved since the last election to be able to vote in the correct precinct.
People can register to vote in person at the Smith County Elections Office, at 302 E. Ferguson in Tyler. They can also visit https://www.smith-county.com/government/departments/elections/voter-registration or www.votetexas.gov, fill out the voter registration application, print it out, sign it and mail it or drop it off at the Elections Office.
If you are unsure if you are registered to vote, please call 903-590-4777, or visit www.votetexas.gov and click on “AM I REGISTERED?”
Added to the list of county, state and national races will be city and school elections that were postponed from May 2020 due to COVID-19. They include the cities of Tyler, Lindale, and Overton; independent school districts of Bullard and Chapel Hill; Emergency Services District Nos. 1 and 2; and East Texas Municipal District 1.
Early voting will be held October 13-30, at seven voting locations throughout Smith County. Election Day will be held from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, November 3. Smith County residents will be able to vote at any of the 35 polling locations throughout the county on Election Day.
Several safety precautions will be taken at each polling location, such as providing hand sanitizing stations, gloves for ballot casting and encouraging social distancing and mask wearing, because of recommendations from the State of Texas and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention relating to ongoing COVID-19 concerns.
For more information, call 903-590-4777 or visit: https://www.smith-county.com/government/departments/elections/current-election-information