Precincts, Polling Places, and Countywide Polling

Election Precincts

Each county is divided up into election precincts (also called voting precincts).  In counties that do not use Countywide Polling (see below), each voter can vote in-person at any of their county’s Early Voting polling places, but on Election Day, they must vote at their assigned precinct.  In non-Countywide Polling counties, each election precinct must have one polling place located within its boundaries.

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How are Polling Places Selected?

For this November’s election, the County Clerk (or Elections Administrator) will recommend a location for each polling place in the county. The County’s Commissioners Court then accepts that list unless it finds a “good cause” to reject a recommended polling place.  If that happens, the Commissioners Court designates another location.

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Countywide Polling Place Program

In counties that use Countywide Polling, voters can vote at any polling location in the county both during Early Voting and on Election Day.  Here are some rules that counties have to follow to use Countywide Polling:

• The minimum number of countywide polling locations must be at least 50% of the number of voting precincts in the county.

• Each county commissioners precinct must contain at least one polling place.

• The total number of polling places in any single county commissioners precinct cannot be more than twice the number of polling places in any other county commissioners precinct.

• Each countywide polling place must post a notice of the four nearest countywide polling place locations by driving distance.

• If a court orders any countywide polling place to remain open late, then all polling places located in that county have to remain open for that same length of time.

 

Does My County use Countywide Polling?

You can check this link to see if your county uses Countywide Polling: https://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/laws/countywide-polling-place-program.shtml