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Primaries are quickly approaching for this year’s midterm elections. There are many ways to get involved.
While the amount of information surrounding election season can be difficult to keep track of, physically involving oneself in the process can help to ensure that elections are conducted in an orderly fashion, according to Texas Secretary of State John Scott. This can be done by becoming an election worker, a poll watcher, a student voting clerk or a volunteer deputy registrar.
"Having a safe and secure election starts with well-trained and dedicated election workers at the local level, and we want to make sure all Texans who want to get involved have the resources and information they need to support county officials who are working around the clock to prepare for the upcoming election cycle," Secretary Scott said. "Whether you want to help out with voter registration or the voting process itself, we are here to provide the training and certification necessary to strengthen election administration, voter participation and voter confidence across the state."
Become an election worker
Under Texas law, anyone is eligible to be appointed as an election worker if they are a U.S. Citizen and a qualified voter in the jurisdiction in which the election is being conducted.
To become an election worker:
Take the free Texas’ Online Poll Worker Training program (available at pollworkertraining.sos.texas. gov) to learn about polling place procedures.
Become a poll watcher
In Texas elections, a Poll Watcher is a person appointed to observe the conduct of an election on behalf of a candidate, a political party or the proponents or opponents of a measure. Poll watchers are allowed to observe and re port on irregularities in the conduct of any election, but may not interfere in the orderly conduct of an election.
For this position, a person must be a registered voter of the territory covered by the election and of the county, not be a candidate for public office in an election held on the day the watcher seeks to serve, not hold an elective public office, not be an employee of an election judge or clerk serving at the same polling place, not have been convicted of an offense in connection with conduct directly attributable to an election and not be related to an election judge or clerk serving at that polling place.
To become a poll watcher:
Receive a certificate of appointment (available at sos.texas.gov)
Complete the Texas Secretary of State’s program (available at pollworkertraining.sos.texas.gov) and receive a certificate of completion.
Present both forms of documentation to the presiding judge at the polling place.
Take an oath, administered by the presiding judge at the polling place.
Become a student clerk High school students 16 years of age or older can serve as election clerks at polling locations during early voting or on Election Day. The students will assist their local election officials by filling positions at polling places and working under the direction of the polling place presiding judge.
A student who is at least 16 years of age and is enrolled in a public, private or home school and has the consent of the principal (or legal guardian in home school) may serve as an election clerk. The election officials must receive written authorization from the student's parent or guardian for the student to serve in the election for which he or she is appointed.
To become a student clerk:
Fill out the required pa perwork at sos.state.tx.us/ elections/forms/seciform. pdf
Send the application to the local elections officials conducting the election in which you wish to serve.
If selected, attend the required election training class prior to serving as a clerk.
Work at the polls as assigned during early voting or on Election Day.
A school district may excuse a student for the purpose of serving as an election clerk for a maximum of two days in a school year.
Become a volunteer deputy registrar
Volunteer deputy registrars have the responsibility of officially registering voters in the State of Texas. They are appointed by county voter registrars and charged with helping increase voter registration in the state.
To be appointed a volunteer deputy registrar, a person must be at least 18 years old; be a United States citizen; not be mentally incapacitated; never have been convicted of failing to deliver a voter application to a voter registrar; not have been convicted of a felony, or, if convicted, must have fully discharged the sentence or been pardoned; not have been convicted of identity theft under Section 32.51 of the Penal Code; and be a resident of Texas.
To become a volunteer deputy registrar:
Contact the voter registrar in your county for information about training.
Upon satisfactorily completing training and examination, if required, the voter registrar will appoint you as a volunteer deputy registrar and advise you of any county-specific procedures for processing voter registration applications.
The voter registrar will issue you a certificate of appointment and give you a receipt book of voter registration applications with a tear-off receipt.
One may be appointed a volunteer deputy registrar at any time.
To learn more, visit votetexas.gov/get-involved.
