The following agencies and organizations can provide information and resources for voters:

Texas Secretary of State (Elections Division)
https://www.votetexas.gov/index.html
1-800-252-VOTE (8683)
The Secretary of State is the chief election officer for the State of Texas. The VoteTexas.gov website includes calendars, lists of offices up for election and the candidates running for them, instructions and advice for Texas voters, voter registration applications, a summary of election-related legislation, and an explanation of voting systems and equipment.

Denton County Elections Office
https://www.votedenton.gov/elections-office/
(940) 349-3200
The Denton County Elections Administrator supervises elections in Denton County. The VoteDenton.gov website includes calendars, historical information, precinct maps, a database of registered voters, and lists of elected officials who serve Denton County residents.

League of Women Voters of Denton
http://www.lwvdenton.org
[no phone number available]
The League of Women Voters of Denton, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government. Their Web site includes a guide to candidates running in Denton County elections, a list of current elected officials, and links to relevant resources.

Project Vote Smart
https://justfacts.votesmart.org/
Hotline: 888-Vote-Smart (888-868-3762)
Project Vote Smart is a citizens’ organization set up to provide voters with accurate and unbiased information. Their Web site includes biographical information, issue positions, voting records, campaign finances, and interest group ratings. Call the Hotline above to get instant information on candidates and elected officials, or sign up for RSS feeds and API access to stay current.

UNT Libraries Government Information Connection®
http://www.library.unt.edu/govinfo
(940) 565-2194
Located within the Sycamore Library, the UNT Libraries Government Documents Department provides government information and resources to residents of the 26th Congressional District. Their Web site, the Government Information Connection®, includes subject guides on politics and elected officials in the United States and Texas.

Refer to your voter registration certificate or call your County Elections Department to find out your voting precinct number and the other information.

_____ Voting Precinct Number

_____ Congressional District

_____ Texas State Senate District

_____ County Commissioner Precinct

_____ Justice of the Peace Precinct

_____ State Board of Higher Education District

_____ Community College District

_____ School District

_____ City Council District

You may wish to make a list of the candidates you plan to vote for in each jurisdiction and bring it to the polling site.

Note that not every precinct will be having an election in each category, and municipal elections may be held at a different time of the year than national, state, and county elections.

VoteTexas.gov is a site created by the Texas Secretary of State to make sure that voting in Texas is easy, transparent, and open to all. It’s full of information including the who, what, when, where, and how of voting. As to whom or what to vote for, well, that’s up to you!

• Texas Driver License issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)
• Texas Election Identification Certificate issued by DPS
• Texas Personal Identification Card issued by DPS
• Texas Handgun License issued by DPS
• United States Military Identification Card containing the person’s photograph
• United States Citizenship Certificate containing the person’s photograph
• United States Passport (book or card)

Why should I vote?

Are you concerned about energy resources, the environment, national security, immigration, or the costs of education, and/or health care? The candidates running for office will have a huge influence on these and other important aspects of your life. You have the right to let your opinions be known. If you don’t vote, you are letting others speak for you.

 

Who may vote?

In order to vote in an election in the state of Texas, you must be, on the day of the election, at least 18 years old; a citizen of the United States; a resident of the county, city, or district where the election is being held; and neither a convicted felon (unless sentence, probation and/or parole are completed) nor deemed mentally incompetent by a court of law. You must have registered to vote at least 30 days before the election takes place.

 

Who are the candidates?

The Texas Secretary of State’s Office publishes a list of candidates and issues that will appear on Texas ballots.

 

What do the political parties stand for?

Each of the major political parties has a party platform outlining the party’s official position on selected issues. Here are the Web sites for the platforms of some major political parties and interest groups:

Democratic Party

Republican Party

Constitution Party

Democratic Socialists of America

Green Party

Libertarian Party

Reform Party

Tea Party Patriots

 

What are the candidates' positions?

Several sources are available to research the positions of candidates on various issues. These include televised debates, the candidates’ Web sites, and articles in newspapers and magazines.

Project Vote Smart gives biographical information, issue positions, voting records, campaign finances, and interest group ratings.

The League of Women Voters of Denton publishes a Voters Guide that lists every candidate running for office in Denton County and gives a brief account of their views on selected issues. The Guide becomes available shortly before each election at the League of Women Voters of Denton Web site.

 

Vote411.org, another service of the League of Women Voters, provides customized voter's guides. Just input your address and see a sample ballot and candidate positions.

OnTheIssues.org provides non-partisan information for voters in the presidential election, so that votes can be based on issues rather than on personalities and popularity. Information is compiled by volunteers daily from newspapers, speeches, press releases, and the Internet, then sorted by topic and by candidate.

 

Where do I vote?

Vote at the polling site assigned to your voting precinct. The number of your precinct appears on your Voting Registration Certificate.

You can also find out the number of your precinct by calling the Denton County Elections Administration at (940) 349-3200, or by searching the Voter Registration Database.

 

May I vote early?

Once registered to vote in Texas, you can vote at your convenience beginning on the 15th day before an election and ending on the 4th day before Election Day in most elections. This is called early voting, and there are two types of early voting in Texas: vote early in person (no need to vote in your precinct—you can cast your ballot at any early voting site convenient to you) or vote early by mail. Voting early in person is convenient and requires no excuse. You can only vote early by mail if you are 65 or older; disabled; confined in jail; or expect to be out of the county on Election Day.

You can enter an online Request for an Application for a Ballot by Mail to be sent to you, or you can download a mail-in order form for a voting-early-by-mail ballot. Under a new law, early voters using Absentee Ballot By Mail (ABBM) must include the identification number listed on their voter registration (Texas ID number or last four digits of the voter's social security number). If you cannot remember what you listed on your voter registration application, include both on the ABBM. 

 

I'm a student. Do I vote at my permanent home address, or at my college address?

Generally, you should be registered to vote in the county you claim as your permanent residence. If you consider your parents’ address to be your permanent residence, you may use that address as your registration address. If you would like to register to vote at your college address, you may do so. However, you cannot be registered at both places. If you are registered at one location in Texas, and will be away from your home Texas county during early voting and on Election Day, and you wish to vote by mail, you can request that a voting-early-by-mail ballot be sent to you. (See instructions above for early voting by mail.) If you consider yourself a permanent resident of another state, you will need to consult with the authorities in that state for their registration and voting-by-mail procedures.

 

What should I bring to the polling site?

An approved form of a photo identification is required to vote in the State of Texas. Here is a list of acceptable identifications: 

You may also want to bring your Voting Registration Certificate, which identifies you as a registered voter in your precinct but is not required to vote. If you wish, you may also bring a voters guide, such as that published by the League of Women Voters, into the voting booth.

Leave your cellphone in the car, turn it off, or silence it as cellphone use is prohibited in polling locations.

 

I have a special need. Can it be accommodated?

The State of Texas makes special efforts to increase ballot accessibility for all voters, including elderly voters, voters with disabilities, and voters who do not read or speak English or Spanish. All polling places in Texas are required to be accessible to persons who are elderly or physically disabled. If you are physically unable to enter the polling place, you may ask that an election officer bring a ballot to you at the entrance of the polling place or to a car at curbside. Alternatively, you may choose to vote early (in person or by mail). See instructions above for early voting. If you cannot read or write, or have a physical disability that prevents you from marking the ballot, you may receive assistance. If you cannot speak English, or if you communicate only with sign language, you may use an interpreter to help you communicate with election officials.