UPDATE: The DOs and DON'Ts of voting in the General Election

UPDATE:

Friday, October 31, is the last day for early voting. The polls are open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. The General Election Day is Tuesday, November 4.

For more information about the election visit this Election Guide.



UPDATE:

The turnout on the first day of the early voting period netted approximately 4000 voters in Montgomery County. Combined with the mail-in votes, voter turnout was 8,538, which is just shy of the early voting numbers for the November 2013. Voter turnout for the General Election is expected to exceed last year's election numbers.



ORIGINAL STORY:

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Texas -- Early voting for the General Election begins Monday morning, October 20. The polls will be open 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. the first week of early voting, and extending the hours to 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Saturday, October 25, and Monday through Friday, October 27 - 31. The exception is Sunday, October 26, when the polls will open at noon until 5:00 p.m. Election Day is November 4; the polls will be open 7 to 7.

According to the Montgomery County Elections Administrator, Suzie Harvey, early voter turnout has increased as evidenced in the November 2013 joint election; 8,980 of the 15,042 votes were cast during the early voting period.

These are the DOs and DON’Ts for the General Election…

DO go out and vote. Exercise your right to vote that our forefathers fought and died for.

DO reference our 2014 Election Guide for early voting sites, times, and a map of the voting sites, and the same for Election Day.

DO take a photo ID with you in order to vote. Early Saturday the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Texas election officials can go ahead and enforce a controversial voter identification law that was previously blocked by U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos of Corpus Christi. One of these seven forms of photo identifications is acceptable:

- Texas driver’s license
- Texas personal ID card issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety
- Texas concealed handgun license issued by DPS
- U.S. military photo ID card
- U.S. certificate of citizenship, or naturalization, with photo
- U.S. passport
- Election ID certificate

DON’T assume your vote won’t matter. The candidates that win are the ones who get their voters to the polls to vote.

DON’T hit the ‘ENTER’ button if you’re voting a straight party ticket, until you have scrolled down and voted on some very important items on the ballot which include:

Proposition 1:

"The constitutional amendment providing for the use and dedication of certain money transferred to the state highway fund to assist in the completion of transportation construction, maintenance, and rehabilitation projects, not to include toll roads."

Lone Star College System Proposition:

The issuance of $485,000,000 school building bonds for the Lone Star College System comprised of Lone Star College-North Harris, Lone Star College-Kingwood, Lone Star College-Tomball, Lone Star College-Montgomery, Lone Star College-CyFair and Lone Star College-University Park for the construction, acquisition and equipment of school buildings in the System, school sites including instructional facilities; student services facilities; academic support facilities; campus support facilities; traffic infrastructure; safety and security infrastructure; plant system replacements; and technology infrastructure and the levying of the tax in payment thereof.

Montgomery County Hospital District General Election:

Election for Director At-Large Position 2, and Directors for Precincts 3 and 4.

Conroe Independent School District Trustee Election:

Conroe ISD Trustees for Positions 1, 2, and 3.

The Woodlands Township Board of Directors:

Election for At-Large Positions 1, 2, 3 & 4



For the fastest growing county in Texas, a very small percentage of the population turns out to vote. Less than six percent of the registered voters voted in the November 2013 joint election. In an effort to increase voter turnout, a Voter Awareness Council comprised of thirty community and civic leaders, was recently formed to encourage and increase voter turnout in Montgomery County by coordinating public forums and debates, the most recent at the Montgomery County Hispanic Chamber’s monthly meeting. For more information about the Voter Awareness Council (VAC), read Voter Awareness Council formed to encourage Montgomery County citizens to vote. For more information about the VAC, visit the website and Facebook page at the links provided.

DON’T let the minority decide who will oversee the operation of the State of Texas, how money will be appropriated for major projects, and who will make the decisions in your child’s school district.

DO go vote.