Ike Won't Spike the Vote

Employees from more than 60 different agencies worked Saturday at the city's Office of Emergency Management Center, about 12 hours after Ike made landfall. (Photo by Wells Dunbar)

As state agencies try to clean up after Hurricane Ike, the secretary of state's office is trying to make sure the damage doesn't affect the Nov. 4 election. Staff from the Elections Division has been meeting with county officials from the hardest-hit areas along the Gulf Coast to determine storm damage to facilities and machinery. "We really understand that there are people suffering from the hurricane that aren't thinking about elections that are two months away," said secretary of state spokesman Randall Dillard, "but we want to make sure that they can participate."

To vote by mail, displaced residents have until Oct. 28 to apply with their home county's early-voting clerk. (To qualify for postal voting, they must be registered to vote; Oct. 6 is the voter-registration deadline.) The Elec­tions Division will also be working with county election officers in cities outside of Southeast Texas to get information to evacuees where they are now. More info at www.sos.state.tx.us or at www.votexas.org.