Sarah Hustwit of McKinney feeds a sample ballot into a DS 200 tabulating machine in a practice run for the Nov. 4 general election. Bob Wieland/C&S Media

The Tuesday, Nov. 4, general election ballot contains 17 proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution as well as a countywide election to create an emergency services district for Collin County.

In Princeton, there are seven candidates for two positions on the Princeton Independent School District Board of Trustees.

This election marks Collin County’s transition to hand marked paper ballots. A separate ballot will be printed for each voter and will then be fed into a DS200 tabulating machine.

“We just want voters to take their time and review their ballots before placing them into DS200s to be tabulated for this election,” Collin County Elections Administrator Kaleb Breaux said. “We are asking that the voters mark their choices clearly by completely filling in the oval to the left of their choice(s) on the ballot. If the voter has completely marked their ballots without issue, the DS200 will accept the ballot and thank the voter for voting.”

If there is an issue with a voter’s ballot, the DS200 will alert the voter and assist them in the adjudication process, Breaux said. “It is important for the voter to review the DS200 screen after depositing their ballot into the DS200 for tabulation.”

Collin County Elections has more than 40 polling places for early voting, open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Oct. 20, through Friday, Oct. 24; 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 26; and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 27 through Friday, Oct. 31.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 4, with polls open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and there will be 91 vote centers open. Voters in line by 7 p.m. will be allowed to vote.

Curbside voting is available for persons unable to enter the polling place. Ask the judge for assistance or call or text the number posted on the curbside voting sign located at your vote center.

Some of the polling places for early voting are: Blue Ridge ISD Administration Building – Board of Trustees Board Room, 

318 W. School St., Blue Ridge; Collin College Farmersville Campus – FVC Atrium 2, 501 S. Collin Parkway, Farmersville; Collin College Wylie Campus – WSC Atrium 1, 391 Country Club Road, Wylie; Collin County Elections – Voting Room, 2010 Redbud Boulevard, McKinney; Josephine Community Center – Main Room, 404 Main St., Josephine; Lavon City Hall – Gymnasium, 120 School Road, Lavon; Lovejoy ISD Administration Building – Portable #1 Training Room, 259 Country Club Road; Allen; Lucas Community Center – Community Room, 665 Country Club Road; Lucas; McKinney City Hall – 2nd Floor Lobby, 401 E. Virginia St.; McKinney; Michael J Felix Community Center – Rooms A and B, 3815-E. Sachse Road, Sachse; Murphy Community Center – Homer and Marie Adams Room, 205 N. Murphy Road, Murphy; Parker City Hall – Council Chambers, 5700 E Parker Road, Parker; Princeton Municipal Center – 615 Training Room, 2000 E Princeton Drive, Princeton; St. Paul Town Hall – Council Chambers, 2505 Butcher’s Block, St. Paul; Terry Pope Administration Building – Community ISD Board Room, 611 N. FM 1138, Nevada; Wylie Community Park Center – Meeting Room East, 800 Thomas Street #100, Wylie.

A voter must show acceptable photo identification at the polling location before the voter may be accepted for voting, unless the voter does not possess and cannot reasonably obtain one of the acceptable photo IDs or voter qualifies for an exemption.

The acceptable IDs include a Texas Driver License issued by the 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; or United States Passport (book or card).

With the exception of the U.S. citizenship certificate, the identification must be current or, for voters aged 18-69, have expired no more than four years before being presented for voter qualification at the polling place. 

A person 70 years of age or older may use a form of identification listed above that has expired for any length of time if the identification is otherwise valid. 

If a voter does not possess one of the forms of acceptable photo identification listed above, and the voter cannot reasonably obtain such identification, the voter may execute a Reasonable Impediment Declaration and present a copy or original of a supporting document.

Those documents include a government document that shows the voter’s name and an address, including the voter’s voter registration certificate; a current utility bill; a bank statement; a government check or a paycheck.

Other supporting documents include a copy of or original of a certified domestic birth certificate from a U.S. state or territory or a document confirming birth admissible in a court of law which establishes the voter’s identity (which may include a foreign birth document).

Initial results will be available on the Collin County Elections webpage for election results shortly after 7 p.m. on Election Night and will be updated periodically as tabulation continues. Final official results will not be available until the certification of the election by the government body involved.

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By Bob Wieland |[email protected]