Voting can be an experience new voters face with mixed emotions. Indecisive young voters may dread voting and have lots of questions about preparing to vote.
“I view voting as a process. Not just show up and go. The first thing you do is look up to see if you’re registered. Then you look up your ballot to see what you’re voting on. Then you do research on it. Then you make a plan to go,” said Barbara Larkin, director of education and special projects with the League of Women Voters – Dallas.
North Lake Campus has a polling place downstairs in the library.
Early voting takes place from Oct. 21 to Nov. 1. Voters can also cast their ballots there on Election Day, Nov. 5.
The polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
A photo ID is required to vote in an election.
“If you have a Texas Driver’s License, Texas ID or a passport, you have nothing to worry about,” Larkin said. A U.S. Military ID Card or gun permit (License to Carry) are also acceptable forms of photo ID.
An alternative is filling out a Reasonable Impediment Declaration at the polls and presenting another form of ID like a utility bill, bank statement, government check, original paycheck, voters registration certificate, birth certificate, out-of-state driver’s license or an expired Texas driver’s license.
Larkin recommends researching the candidates before heading to the polls.
Voters who live in Dallas County can go to the Dallas County Elections website (DallasCountyVotes.org), put in their information and hit ‘view my sample ballot.’
“Printing this PDF will let you see everything that’s on your ballot,” Larkin said. “I always go to that first.
And if you have access to a printer, I recommend printing that page then you can see in paper exactly what you’re voting on.”
Another resource is the League of Women Voters national website (Vote411.org).
“It’s a website run by volunteers across the country. They ask candidates questions. They get the answers back,” she said.
“Not only can you see what’s on your ballot, you can do a little research on the candidates, all on that website.”
Print versions of the League of Women Voters’ Voter Guide are available at several locations on the North Lake Campus.
Phones are not permitted in a voting booth, so it is recommended that voters write down their candidate selections based on their research so they don’t have to remember the information they need in order to vote.
The process of getting in, voting and getting out shouldn’t take long, as long as the voter is prepared and ready.
“If you were to go to the North Lake Library, there’s a good chance there will not be a line,” Larkin said.
Waiting until Election Day and going to the polls unprepared and uneducated could lead to indecisive voting and/or forgotten documents.
That can deter voters from voting at all, depending on the wait time.
“Once someone has voted once or twice it makes people feel good,” Larkin said.
