Early voting will begin Monday, June 29, for the party primary runoff elections in Texas.
Ballots in Hopkins County may be cast in these runoffs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, June 29 through Friday, July 10, in Justice of Peace 2 Courtroom inside the Hopkins County Courthouse Annex Building (tax office/justice of the peace offices), 128 Jefferson St. No voting will be conducted on either July 3 or July 4 in observance of the federal/state holiday.
Primary Runoff Election Day voting will be conducted from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. July 14. Voting centers will be consolidated with one polling location per precinct. Voting will be conducted as follows:
- Our Savior Lutheran Church, 100 Texas St., Sulphur Springs
- Morning Chapel Missionary Baptist Church, 208 Fuller St., Sulphur Springs
- Hopkins County Courthouse, 118 Church St., Sulphur Springs
- League Street Church of Christ, 1100 South League Street, Sulphur Springs
Voters may cast ballots in the Primary Runoff Election on July 14 at any of the four voting centers. Click here to learn more about requirements for voting by mail in Texas.
The last day applications for ballots by mail will be accepted is Thursday, July 2. The deadline to receive ballots by mail is July 14. County Clerk Tracy Smith serves as early voting clerk; she may be contacted at her office at 128 Jefferson St., Suite C, Sulphur Springs; by phone at 903-438-4074; fax at 903-438-4110; or email at [email protected].
According to the voting law, voters who have mobility issues that substantially impair their ability to move around may be moved to the front of the line.
A person assisting an individual with a mobility problem may also, at the
individual’s request, be given voting order priority.
Disabilities and conditions that may qualify you for voting order priority
include paralysis, lung disease, the use of portable oxygen, cardiac deficiency, severe limitation in the ability to walk due to arthritic, neurological, or orthopedic condition, wheelchair confinement, arthritis, foot disorder, the inability to walk 200 feet without stopping to rest, or use of a brace, cane, crutch, or other assistive device.
Voters who wish to be given voting order priority, and be accepted for voting before others in line to vote at that polling place, may indicate this to any election officer serving at the polling place. The presiding election judge will determine whether the voter and the voter’s assistant, if applicable, will be brought forward to the front of the line.
Texas Secretary of State Ruth Hughs this week issued a reminder to all eligible Texas voters to observe the recommended health care protocols released last month by her office, which are meant to help ensure the health and safety of all voters, election office personnel, polling place workers, and poll watchers in Texas.
“Despite COVID-19, the drumbeat of our democracy has marched on,” said Hughs. “I strongly encourage all eligible Texans to set aside time now so they can be prepared to cast a ballot during the early voting period or on Election Day. It is essential to our democracy that Texans are able to safely and confidently cast their vote.”
Voters who possess one of the following 7 approved forms of photo ID must present that ID at the polls:
- Texas Driver License issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (License is not required to be REAL ID compliant),
- 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, and
- United States Passport (book or card).
Voters who do not possess and cannot reasonably obtain one of the 7 forms of approved photo ID may execute a Reasonable Impediment Declaration form, available to them at each polling location, and provide a supporting form of identification.
With the exception of the U.S. Citizenship Certificate, which does not expire, the acceptable photo ID must be current or, for voters aged 18-69, have expired no more than 4 years before being presented for voter qualification at the polling place. A voter 70 years of age or older may use a form of acceptable photo ID listed above that has expired for any length of time if the identification is otherwise valid.
Those completing a Reasonable Impediment Declaration form will be required to present a copy or original of 1 of the following supporting forms of identification:
- 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
- a paycheck
- a certified domestic (from a U.S. state or territory) birth certificate
- a document confirming birth admissible in a court of law which establishes the voter’s identity (which may include a foreign birth document)
The address on an acceptable form of photo identification or a supporting form of identification, if applicable, does not have to match the voter’s address on the list of registered voters, according to Hughs.
For more information on voting in Texas, including candidates in each party’s runoff elections, visit www.votetexas.gov.
