5 things to know before heading out to polls

Saturday will be the last day voters will have their say on city councils, school boards and city propositions across North Texas.

In Dallas County, nearly 67,000 people have already cast ballots, including in races to decide who claims the Dallas mayoral seat as well as city council positions representing Dallas’ 14 districts.

There are planned to be more than 360 schools, churches, recreation centers and other sites open Saturday as voting centers across Dallas County from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Here are five things to know before you head to the polls:

1. Don’t forget your photo ID.

The main item needed in order to vote is a valid form of photo identification.

In Texas, it can be any one of these seven items: a state driver’s license, an election identification certificate, a state handgun license, a state personal identification card, a U.S. citizenship certificate, a U.S. military ID card, or a U.S. passport.

If you are a registered voter but forget to bring your ID with you to the polls, you can still vote, said Ashley Harris, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas.

“Voters have the right to ask for a provisional ballot at the polling location, even if there’s some uncertainty about whether they are on the rolls,” she said. “Their vote will be counted if it’s found that some kind of administrative error led to them not being immediately found in the system or if they can later provide a photo ID they didn’t have on election day.”

2. There are some things you can’t bring to the voting booth

Voters aren’t allowed to have cell phones as well as any other video or audio recording device out within 100 feet of voting stations.

Voters also can’t bring signs or wear any clothing advocating for candidates or measures on the ballot within 100 feet from the entrance of the polling location. If those clothes can be completely covered up, they may be permitted, said Nic Solorzano, a spokesman for the Dallas County Elections Department.

“And while a Texas license to carry a handgun is fine to bring on the premises, the handgun itself is not,” he said. “State penal code says you can’t have a handgun inside the polling location.”

3. You don’t have to vote at the polling place closest to home

Areas like Dallas, Collin and Tarrant counties allow registered voters to cast ballots at any polling location within the county where they live, not just the site nearest to their home.

For example, if you live in East Dallas, you can cast ballots in the Dallas mayor and City Council races at a polling location in Garland.

If you need a ride to the polls, DART is providing free rides on its buses, trains, GoLink vehicles, the Dallas Streetcar and other transit services to voters.

In order to ride for free, customers have to show they have a valid voter registration card, according to DART. Customers using the GoLink service can use promo code VOTE23 when buying a complimentary adult local day pass through DART’s app on Saturday.

4. How to get language or physical help

Voters who speak limited or no English or communicate using sign language can bring someone, such as a relative, to help them navigate the process, Solorzano said. Voting machines in Dallas County should have options to have information displayed in English, Spanish and Vietnamese.

If voters don’t have a translator with them, Solorzano said poll workers should be able to call a service where a translator can video call in to help interpret.

Voters can also bring someone to assist them if they have a physical disability. Harris said people who aren’t physically able to go into the voting location can ask poll workers to vote outside the entrance or from their car.

“It’s illegal for voters to be turned away for a disability or limited English proficiency,” she said. Harris noted voters can call the Election Protection Hotline (1-866-687-8683) to report being improperly turned away at the polls or any incidents of harassment.

5. Make sure you get in line to vote before 7 p.m.

Any voter waiting to cast a ballot by 7 p.m. should be allowed to do so, Solorzano said.

In the event there’s a line at a polling location just before it’s supposed to close, just getting in line is enough to secure a spot to vote, he said.

“As long as you’re in line by the close of the poll at 7, it doesn’t matter if you get in front of a voting machine sometime after, you get to vote,” Solorzano said. “But you just have to stay in line. Don’t walk away at 6:59 and come back at 7:05.”