Election Day is perhaps the most important day of the year. Across the country, people will be turning out in droves to exercise one of the most important rights we have: the right to vote.
More than half of Collin County’s registered voters have already voted. In fact, at least 9.7 million Texans — 57 percent of registered voters — voted early this year, according to Texas Tribune. Collin County leads the pack; out of the ten biggest counties in Texas, Collin County has the highest percentage of registered voters who have already voted: 69.2 percent.
For the remaining 30 percent and those who prefer to visit the polls on Election Day, today is that day. It’s your last chance. Here’s everything you need to know if you’re voting on Election Day in Collin County.
Reminder: Alto is offering free rides to the polls on Election Day.
Locate Collin County Polls
The Collin County elections office webpage is a fount of information, from latest data to a map of polling locations near and far.
All you need to do is click here, and type in your address to view the closest polling locations near you.
Once you've found your preferred polling location, you can also check the Collin County website to get an idea of what the wait times are like. Simply click here, find your preferred polling location in the list, and double check to make sure you're not in for a wait. A green dot means the estimated wait is less than 20 minutes, a yellow triangle means 20-40 minutes, and a red diamond means ... it's over 40 minutes and you might want to find a new polling location.
Get Your ID
In Texas, everyone must be registered. Luckily, we are all given the option to be automatically registered when we apply for or renew our driver’s licenses, thanks to The National Voter Registration Act, also known as the motor voter law. When you go to vote, simply bring that license with you—or another form of photo ID.
Acceptable forms of ID are:
- Driver license
- Texas Election Identification Certificate (EIC)
- Texas Personal Identification Card issued by DPS
- Texas license to carry a handgun issued by DPS
- US military identification card containing the person’s photograph
- US citizenship certificate containing the person’s photograph
- US passport (book or card)
Registered voters without photo ID, who cannot reasonably obtain one, may sign a form and present the original or a copy of one of the following documents with the voters name and address to vote a regular ballot:
- Voter registration card
- Certified Birth Certificate
- Current utility bill
- Bank statement
- Government check
- Paycheck
- Any other government document such as an out of state driver’s license or expired Texas driver’s license.
Due notice to all employers and employees: Employers must grant employees paid leave to vote on Election Day (unless polls are open two hours before or after their regular working shift).
Know Who's On the Ballot
Here’s a handy tool that we’ve been using to study up on the candidates on the Collin County ballot.
Practice COVID-19 Safety
Voters must wear masks and maintain social distance while waiting in line. Hand sanitizer is available at all polling locations.
Learn to Use the Polling Machines
Last year, Collin County provided a helpful video guide on how to use the polling machines. It's worth a watch just as a refresher to prevent technical difficulties.
