As Early voting gets underway in Texas on this Monday, election officials are reminding people about certain rules while waiting in line to vote. And with nearly 18-million registered voters, That’s why election officials predict long lines where such rules will be enforced. A county election administrator, Freda Ragan, reminds voters that state law bans the use of phones or electronic devices within 100 feet of a voting booth. “We wait in line and we get bored and we tend to want to get our phones out and check our Facebook or email. But if voters will just work with us and just be sure that they’re beyond that 100 foot (boundary) if they’re going to use their cellphones that would be great.”
Election judges have the authority to require deactivation of devices and to require anyone who doesn’t comply to leave the polling place. The law applies to everyone in a polling location, including poll watchers.
Voter rights are also a concern. That includes the possibility that some voters might be turned away from the polls due to overzealous cleaning of the voter rolls or other issues that might seem like voter suppression. The Texas Civil Rights Project is looking to hear from the public when things go wrong. They have set up an election protection hotline: 866-OUR VOTE.
Veronikah Warms is a staff attorney for the voting rights program at the Texas Civil Right Project. “We are interested in that every single Texan can cast a ballot that counts. To do that we are part on an election protection coalition. We are a group of non-partisan attorneys that are available to help Texans with any and all of their voting questions or if they see anything concerning at the polls.”
