Election Day

 Election Day is less than a month away on Tuesday, November 5th!

There will be a polling location on Rice campus, at the Welcome Center, 7 am-7 pm. All voters registered in Harris County can vote here. Be sure to bring your government-issued ID.

Early voting begins October 21^st and ends November 1^st.

Approved early voting sites can be found here at Vote-Centers. (Election Day sites can also be found here.)  Ride the Rice BRC/TMC Shuttle to the closest Early Voting site (shuttle stop 12).

If you are voting in Harris County, view your voter-specific ballot at Whats-on-my-Ballot.

There are other important races and issues voters will decide on this year, including US Senate and Representative, Texas State Senator and Representative, Railroad Commissioner, and numerous judges and county officials.  Harris County also has three separate bond proposals to be voted on. We hope you will make your voice heard today.

For non-partisan information about candidates and issues, League of Women Voters Guides for Harris County are available in the Kelley Center for Government Information in the basement of Fondren as long as supplies last.  The Guide can also be found online here.   

The Houston Chronicle 2024 Texas Voter Guide provides sample ballots for Harris and Houston area counties along with information about each candidate.  They also post their endorsements in many races. (The Houston Chronicle is available to members of the Rice community.  Rice students, faculty, and staff: please visit https://library.rice.edu/houston-chronicle for instructions on registering for a free Houston Chronicle account.)

For a more comprehensive list of election resources, access the Kelley Center’s Voter and Election guide. 

For example, if you want:

for information about a candidate's biography, voting record, positions, ratings, speeches, and funding, check Project Vote Smart.

to see where candidates stand on a host of issues, check ProCon.org's Presidential Election site.

for information about campaign contributions, check the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and/or OpenSecrets.org.

for general information on evaluating candidates for public office, check USA.gov's Choosing Candidates to Vote for.

 

How Can the Results of a Presidential Election Be Contested?

On August 26, 2016 the Congressional Research Service (CRS) published a report entitled "How Can the Results of a Presidential Election be Contested?"  The brief report reveals that challenges to the vote for presidential electors are initially handled in the states since states are the initial and principal authority for the administration of elections within their jurisdictions. The document also reveals how objections can be made when Congress meets in joint session to count the electoral votes. For further information, it also recommends CRS Report RL32717 ("Counting Electoral Votes: An Overview of Procedures at the Joint Session, Including Objections by Members of Congress") and CRS Report RL32611 ("The Electoral College: How It Works in Contemporary Presidential Elections").

Voter Registration

Although Texas has an Oct. 6 deadline to register to vote, not all states have the same deadline. According to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission's National Voter Registration site, a few states like Montana and Nevada even allow voters to register on election day. See registration deadlines to check the deadline for a specific state.

If you need to determine whether you are officially registered or where to cast your vote, state election officials have created CanIVote.org to help you. After selecting a state, you can select the "Am I Registered" link and enter either your driver's license number, your name, or your VUID.

Registering to Vote and Early Voting for the Nov. 4th Election

(For a comprehensive list of linked election/voting Web sites, see Fondren's Election/Voting Resources.)

Voter Registration

If you mail a voter register card to vote in the November 4th election, it must be postmarked by Monday, Oct. 6 (30 days before the election). For other ways of registering to vote, see the Harris County Tax Office voter registration page. For those wanting the quickest service, it is possible to register in person at any of the 16 area Tax Offices or any of the following agencies:
Texas Health and Human Services Commission
Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services
Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services
Texas Department of State Health Services
Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)
Each public library
Each marriage license office of the county clerk.

The Harris County Tax Office also maintains a Voter Registration Frequently Asked Questions page.

Voter Registration Certificates usually arrive within 30 days. If your certificate has not arrived by November 4 or if you are unsure if you have registered, in Harris County you can see your Voter Registration Record online. It includes a list of your elected district representatives (U.S., Texas, and local) and other voting district information (school district, community college, etc.). Just be careful to follow the directions for accessing information either by name, by address, or by voter registration certificate number.

If you cannot find your voter registration certificate, the Texas Secretary of State lists the following forms of acceptable identification:

• a driver's license or personal identification card issued to you by the Department of Public Safety or a similar document issued to you by an agency of another state, regardless of whether the license or card has expired;
  
• a form of identification containing your photograph that establishes your identity;
  
• a birth certificate or other document confirming birth that is admissible in a court of law and establishes your identity;
  
• United States citizenship papers issued to you;
  
• a United States passport issued to you;
  
• official mail addressed to you, by name, from a governmental entity;
  
• a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows your name and address.

Early Voting/Voting by Mail

For a detailed description of all early voting provisions, see the Texas Secretary of State's Early Voting in Texas page. Early voting begins Oct. 20 and ends Oct. 31. Harris Votes provides a list of early voting locations for Harris County.

Registered voters may also apply for a ballot by mail starting Sept. 5. Requests must be received (not just postmarked) by Oct. 28. The Texas Secretary of State lists the following eligibility requirements for voting by mail:

• be 65 years or older;
  
• be disabled;
  
• be out of the county on election day and during the period for early voting by personal appearance; or
  
• be confined in jail, but otherwise eligible.

The Texas Two Step

If you vote as a Democrat in the primary tomorrow, March 4, 2008, in a sense you have a chance to vote twice. First, your vote gets counted in selecting the 126 delegates who come from the popular vote. Second, if you attend the caucus at 7:15 p.m. or whenever the last voter casts a ballot, you have a chance to participate in selecting an additional 67 delegates. To participate in the caucus, bring either your stamped voter registration certificate or a certificate obtained when you voted to prove in which party you cast your vote. (In other words, only if you voted as a Democrat can you participate in the Democratic caucus.) You can find the location of your caucus (Democratic or Republican) which is also your election-day precinct polling location by entering either your precinct number or your address or your name and address in the Harris Votes Find Your Voting Info page available as a pull-down choice from the Voting Information tab. The page also includes a sample ballot.

If you vote as a Republican, on the other hand, the traditional primary system prevails in which delegate votes reflect the popular vote. Both the Democratic and Republican precinct meetings, however, give attendees a chance to select people to attend the March 29 senatorial district conventions where delegates are chosen to attend the state convention. At the state convention delegates for the national convention are selected.

The Democratic State Convention will be held in Austin on June 5-7 while the Republican State Convention will meet in Houston on June 12-14. The Democratic National Convention will be held in Denver on Aug. 25-28 while the Republican National Convention will meet in Minneapolis-St. Paul on Sept. 1-4.

For a more detailed explanation of the whole election process see the Texas State Teacher's Political Convention Process page or access the Web sites of the the Texas Republican Party or the Texas Democratic Party .

On election day, March 4, the Houston League of Women Voters has teamed with KRPC Channel 2 to offer a helpline at 713-271-1905. Their Voter Guide March 2008 is also available online with information about candidates' positions on key issues.

Early Voting - March 4 Primary Elections

Early voting for the March 4, 2008 Democratic and Republican Primary Election for residents of Harris County is available from Feb. 19 - Feb. 29. An early voting schedule/map detailing times and locations and early voting questions/answers are available from Harris Votes (click on the Voting Information tab at the top far left). Another choice available from the Voting Information tab is "Find your voting information." After selecting a party, you can enter one of three things (your precinct, your address, or your name and address) to display your election day polling address and to view a sample ballot. Finally, if you are not sure you are registered to vote, check the Harris County Voter Registration Database and read the directions carefully.

To help you make informed choices, the Houston Area League of Women Voters has created a Voter's Guide for the March 4 primary elections.

Register to Vote in Texas Primary Elections by Feb. 4

The Texas Democratic and Republican Primary elections are March 4, 2008. To vote you must be registered at least 30 days before that date or by February 4. (As mentioned in Monday's blog, a list indicating primary election dates for each state is available from the United States Election Assistance Commission.)

On the Rice campus, the Rice Vote Coalition has voter registration tables set up in the RMC during lunch this Thursday and Friday (January 31- February 1, 2008). You may also pick up a mail-in form in Fondren Library's Kelley Center for Government Information and Microforms (Fondren basement) or go to the Harris County Tax Office Voter Registration Web site and download an application form. Remember, however, that the application must be postmarked by February 4. Another choice for those in Harris County is to register in person at the following locations:

• Any of the 16 area Tax Offices
• Texas Health and Human Services Commission
• Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services
• Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services
• Texas Department of State Health Services
• Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)
• Each public library
• Each marriage license office of the county clerk

For absentee voting, click on the state or territory of your legal voting residence from the table made available by the Federal Voting Assistance Program . You can download a document with deadlines, forms, and instructions. Texans may also check the Secretary of State's Early Voting page for mail and in-person deadlines.

And the Winners Are

Harris County (Texas) election day and early voting (choose the election results tab, then early voting) results are available from HarrisVotes for the November 6, 2007 joint election. Houston news stations
ABC 13, KHOU 11 (CBS), and Click2Houston.com (NBC) (under local headlines on the politics page) and the Houston Chronicle (politics page) have also compiled results in a user-friendly format. However, election results from these news organizations appear on their November 8, 2007 pages and may require searching archives to access the same information at a later date.

Voting Information for Nov. 6, 2007

League of Women Voters Guides with information about Harris County elections and the Texas Constitutional Amendments are available in Fondren Library or online for tomorrow's (Nov. 6, 2007) election. The Texas Secretary of State has also posted the text of the amendments in English and Spanish. To find a polling location or see a sample ballot, click on the Voting Information tab on the top of Harris Votes Web page and follow instructions given at the Election Day Voting Info. link. For a more comprehensive list of election resources, access Fondren Library's Government Information elections page.

Election Wikis

If you like to research and share information about current elections,
Congresspedia (from the Sunlight Foundation and the Center for Media and Democracy) now provides you a forum. Nicknamed the “citizen's encyclopedia on Congress that you can edit, ” the wiki includes the following sections:

• Wiki the Vote which focuses on U.S. Congressional elections with information about candidates, election coverage, and listings of local U.S. Congressional-related blogs by state.


• U.S. Presidential Election, 2008 which discusses announced and rumored presidential candidates and provides some information about primaries, debates, Congressional endorsements, and political ads.

Voting Fraud and Voter Intimidation Report

On December 7, 2006 the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) issued a report entitled Election Crimes: An Initial Review and Recommendation for Future Study. The goal of the study was "to develop a working definition of 'voting fraud' and 'voter intimidation' and to identify research methodology to conduct a comprehensive, nationwide study of these topics."

In April EAC Commission Gracia Hillman addressed criticism of the study mainly concerning the handling of research data developed by consultants. Commission Hillman's recommendations were that the:

• EAC request its Inspector General to investigate the issues of this matter and report its findings as quickly as possible.


• EAC release the consultants' report.


• EAC establish additional processes that will allow the public even greater opportunity to follow and understand the developments of our research and study projects.

Vote May 12

Saturday, May 12, 2007 most local political subdivisions will conduct elections about local issues. See Harris Votes for a list of polling locations in Harris County. For Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, and Harris Counties the Houston Chronicle has posted a list of candidates by county. The web page also indicates what other issues are on each county's ballot.

The City of Houston is also conducting an election to fill the at-large city council seat left vacant by Shelley Sekula-Gibbs. The League of Women Voters of the Houston Area has posted the candidates' answers to questions about their backgrounds, city spending, a comprehensive plan for the City of Houston, and environmental pollution.

In addition to local issues, an important constitutional amendment (Proposition 1) is on the ballot. The amendment provides for seniors and disabled homeowners to be included in the property tax reduction granted last year to all other homeowners. A discussion of the pros and cons about this amendment is available from the Texas Legislative Council, the League of Women Voters, and the Houston Chronicle.

Harris County Joint Elections - May 12, 2007

According to Harris Votes May 12, 2007 is the date of "authority conducting elections" for the City of Houston, Channelview ISD, Goose Creek CISD, City of Baytown, City of Hilshire Village, City of Pasadena,City of South Houston, Harris County ESD No. 50, Woodcreek MUD, W. Harris County MUD Nos. 9 & 17, and WCID-Fondren Road. Early voting sites are available according to the following schedule:

8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. April 30 - May 4
7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. May 5
1:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. May 6
7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. May 7-8

For a map of polling locations, access the Election 2007 icon on the Harris Votes elections page.

Vote Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2006!

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The Grand Hall of the RMC (Precinct 361) is the polling location for those who live on campus and registered that address. Those living in the Rice Graduate Apartments (Precinct 40) vote at Poe Elementary, 5100 Hazard at South Boulevard, while those living in the Morningside Square Apartments (Precinct 148) vote at Roberts Elementary, 6000 Greenbriar at Swift. Residents of Harris County can access HarrisVotes to find their polling locations and see sample ballots tailored to their specific precincts. The League of Women Voter's Guide for Ft. Bend County or for Harris County (in English) or (in Spanish) is available online to help with an informed choice. The Texas Secretary of State posts state-wide election return information as does the Houston Chronicle (with pre-voting sample ballots and precinct information) and CNN.

Early Voting Oct. 23 - Nov. 3, 2006

In Harris County you may vote early at one of the locations indicated on the Harris County Early Voting Map (includes hours of operation). For precinct information specific to Rice University, access Rice Vote Coalition Voting Reference Information which also includes absentee ballot information. On election day (Nov. 7) for those voting at Rice (Precinct 361), the poll will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the Grand Hall of the RMC. If you are not sure what precinct of Harris County you are in, check the Harris County Precinct Guide. Use Who Represents Me? to identify state and national representatives and senators for your precinct. View a non-precinct specific sample ballot in English/Spanish or Vietnamese/English and The League of Women Voter's Guide for Ft. Bend County or for Harris County (in English) or (in Spanish). If you prefer to vote by mail, applications for ballots by mail must be received (not post marked) by Oct. 31, 2006.

Voter Guides are here!

The League of Women Voters 2006 Voter Guides are ready. You can pick up a paper copy at Fondren Library (both entrances, the reference desk, bulletin board, or the government publications service desk in the basement of Fondren) or access the Guide online.

For additional election information see the Fondren Library Government Publications and Microforms election website.

Register to Vote

Harris County voter registration ends October 10. According to the Houston Chronicle, 78 % of the Texas voting population has registered.