County to Ike Evacuees: Register to Vote Now!

Register by Oct. 6

Travis County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir and Tax Assessor-Collector (and Voter Registrar) Nelda Wells Spears issued a plea today for Hurricane Ike evacuees to make sure they are registered to vote by the Oct. 6 deadline, if they want to vote in the Nov. 4 election.

The duo emphasized three things:
• Anyone who thinks they are registered should double-check
• Anyone who is not registered should do so by Oct. 6
• Displaced Texans can register for their permanent address regardless of where they are at the moment, or they can register as a Travis County resident and vote here.

They also emphasized that it's best to check on this now, rather than frantically dealing with it on Oct. 6 or on Election Day.

Press release from Travis County follows:

October 6 Deadline

Hurricane Displacement Highlights Action Needed to Ensure Voting Rights

SEPTEMBER 30, 2008 AUSTIN – More than 700 Texans remain in Travis County following the devastation caused by Ike. Whether voters return to their home counties or remain in temporary housing may determine their options for voting in the November 4 presidential election.

Displaced citizens have two options for voting:

* register to vote and cast a ballot here
* register to vote in their home county (if not already registered) and request a ballot by mail

Travis County Voter Registrar Nelda Wells Spears and County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir are joining together to sound the alarm that little time remains for voters to secure their voting rights.

“The deadline for all citizens to register for the November election is Monday, October 6. Regardless of where displaced citizens decide to cast their ballots, we want them to know that we’re here to help them, but time is running out,” said Spears.

“It is critical that all voters act now to ensure that they are registered and eligible to vote at their current address,” DeBeauvoir said.

Spears said there are three critical steps that ALL voters must take in the next five days to make sure they are eligible to vote in the November 4 election.

1. REGISTER TO VOTE by October 6. Find applications displayed in grocery stores, libraries, post offices, all tax office locations and online at www.traviscountytax.org

2. UPDATE YOUR ADDRESS by October 6. On Election Day, voters must vote in the precinct where they are registered. Travis County voters who have moved WITHIN Travis County can update their address online at: www.state.tx.us/NASApp/sos/SOSACManager

3. DOUBLE-CHECK YOUR REGISTRATION. If you have an orange certificate with your current residence address, you’re registered to vote. Call Travis County Voter Registration at 854-9473 for help, or check your status online at: www.traviscountytax.org.

”For voters who are unable to get to the polls, including those displaced by Hurricane Ike, the ballot by mail program is the best option,” DeBeauvoir said. “For everyone else, I recommend that voters vote at one of the more than two dozen convenient Early Voting sites across Travis County.”

Contact Travis County Elections at 854-4996 or www.traviscountyelections.org for early voting and to apply for a mail ballot. Contact Travis County Voter Registration at 854-9473 or www.traviscountytax.org for information and assistance in registering to vote.