Must be received by your county election office by Oct 22. We recommend posting the application as soon as you receive it.
Must be received by County Elections office (https://bit.ly/TXCtyRegistrars) by Tuesday, Nov 2
South Asians are protected by the Voting Acts Rights of 1965 Click here to learn more
Sample Testimony from SAAVETX members Click here to get ideas
What to include in Redistricting Testimony?
1.) Hold hearings with virtual testimony on the map proposals themselves at least 1-week notice before the hearing and map proposals made public at least at the time of notice
2.) Include with any map a report on how the district plans affect the ability of Voting Rights Act-protected groups to elect candidates of their choice
1.) El Paso: For El Pasoans who are part of a district that stretches East out of El Paso County, to be connected with similar cultural and demographic communities so as not to dilute their voting power. Last redistricting cycle, the Legislature was found to have intentionally discriminated by diluting the voting power of East El Pasoans.
2.) Central Texas: Travis County not diluted by splitting it up unnecessarily. Bell County gets two whole state representative seats -- currently the diverse Killeen community is split apart and diluted by connecting it to the distant, rural, majority Anglo Lampasas. Central Texas: For Senate: SD 25 most overpopulated -- keep like communities together; the rural hill country areas should form their own district and not split more urban hill country communities such as San Marcos
3.) Houston: Explosive growth in communities of color, particularly in Western Harris/Fort Bend County, led to Texas gaining epresentation in Congress, and additional Texas House representation in Fort Bend County. These new districts need to be drawn to give political power to the communities which grew and not used as a tool to bolster the representational power of others
Census Data:
- Fort Bend: Asian population grew by 83% during last decade; Latinx population grew by 43%; Black population grew by 41%; White population actually shrank by 5%
- Fort Bend county is now almost 70% non-white, but the current districts do not elect candidates who represent this diversity.
4.) DFW: Same as with Houston area -- driving growth of the state, and all of that growth is coming from communities of color. This needs to equate to new districts which represent those communities.
Census Data:
○ Collin County: Asian population grew by 113%; Black population grew by 73%; Latinx population grew by 47%; White population only grew by 3%
○ Denton County: Asian population - 115%; Black - 84.5%; White 5.9%
○ Tarrant: Asian- 56%; Black - 41.2%; Latinx - 28.6%; White alone - lost 27.1%
○ Dallas: Asian - 53%; Latinx - 16.8%; Black - 11.6%; White alone - lost 13.4%
5.) AAPI under-representation: increased by 66.5%; makeup 6.3% of total population now - no representation in Texas Senate or Congress
A personal email from you may be the thing that compels your relative, friend, or colleague to at last make their voice heard at the polls. Here is a sample email you can copy, paste, attach your county’s Election Info sheet from our website and send to entire your network! You can find your county’s Election Info sheet here.
Dear Friends,
Just a quick note to say please go vote to secure a better future for all of us. Early voting ends Oct 30. I did it and it’s so easy! I’m attaching a sheet you can print and take to the polls to help you with candidate selections as well as helpful info you may find handy like a hotline in case of any issues.
Attach election guides for your county
https://saavetx.org/plan-to-vote
Here’s a fun, easy way to help your Desi neighbors get to the polls. We will be targeting Desi Democrats that have not voted in this election. It’s a contactless way to leave valuable information on doors of voters who have not voted.
Literature drops(“Lit drops”) are contactless way to get information to voters. We will be dropping slate cards to encourage voters to vote. Minivan will update every day to identify voters who have not voted yet.
Sign up here to get involved with your SAAVETX regional team https://forms.gle/gdUfAWib9UhUu2or9
Prepare your literature with a short handwritten note. Your team leader will provide you with postcards and an Election Info sheet as your lit. Once you have at least 50 pieces of lit ready, you can go “drop”.
Download the Mini-van app, create an action ID if you don’t already have one.
Enter the code we give you. This code tells the app to pull a specific demographic group that we have strategically identified to receive our literature.
Once you have entered the code, go to the top left corner and choose “maps” from the menu.
You’ll see a map with pins placed on the homes of the people we are targeting. These are the homes you will drop your literature at.
Proceed to the first address, tap the address on the app. You will see the names of each registered South Asian voter at that address with a circle to the left of their name. Click on a name, click on the red box at the top which reads “I Couldn’t Reach This Contact”.
Leave the lit wedged in the hinge of the door, stuck between two doors, or any other place where it will be noticed, preferably in a way that your handwritten note is visible. DO NOT PUT IT IN A MAILBOX, this is illegal. Once you’ve dropped your lit at that address, click the “Lit Dropped” option.
Proceed to the next address! Once you have finished for the day, do not log out, Logging out locks you out for a day.
Volunteers are welcome to work as a representative of a political party at polling locations throughout each county. These volunteer positions are different from the role of Poll Workers, who are hired by the county to help operate polling locations. Here are the 2 roles you may volunteer for.
Poll Greeter
Poll Greeters remain outside of the perimeter of the polling place and present party literature, signs, and other campaign materials. Poll Greeters aim to boost morale of party voters as they enter the polls as well as potentially sway those who are yet undecided. You can sign up to Poll Greet at specific locations at particular times through an organization such as your local Democrat party or you may simply go to a poll when it is convenient. Remember to stay 100 ft away from the actual polling place!
Poll Watcher
Poll Watchers undergo a 90 minute online training in which they learn the important rules that must be enforced at polling locations as well as what to do in the event of an issue. Poll Watchers are sent by each party and it is important to have enough volunteers for our party to represented at every poll.
To volunteer as a Poll Watcher use this link which will take you to a Mobilize sign-up.
Must be received by your county election office by Oct 23. We recommend posting the application by Oct 1st if using USPS or Oct 20, 5 pm if using an express carrier such as FedEx.
Must be received by County Elections office (https://bit.ly/TXCtyRegistrars) by Tuesday, Nov 3 at 7:00pm if carrier envelope is not postmarked, or Wednesday, Nov 4 at 5:00pm if the carrier envelope is postmarked by 7:00pm on November 3. We recommend sending it by Oct 15, 5:00pm, if using USPS Oct 15, 5:00pm, if using overnight carrier such as FedEx or UPS (some rural counties may take 2-3 days for overnight service)
You have rights, and it’s important to know what they are. You can find the full list here: https://www.votetexas.gov/your-rights/
your name does not appear on the list of registered voters
you do not meet the voter ID requirements and cannot sign the Reasonable Impediment Declaration
If you need to cast a provisional ballot, the election judge will provide you details about how to cure the provisional status of your ballot and the time frame in which that must be done.
In case you have concerns you may call Texas Democratic Party Voter Information and Protection Hotline at 1-844-898-6837.
Have questions or need help voting? Call
Bilingual assistance is available in English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Urdu, Hindi, and Bengali.
There are several reasons you may want to call the hotline,for instance:
You have questions about voting that you cannot find the answers to.
You have been denied the right to vote.
You have witnessed illegal or questionable electioneering behavior.
You have experienced unusual delays or voting discrimination.
There is voter intimidation occurring .
You have been wrongly purged from the voter registration rolls .
Curbside voting is available at all polling locations during Early Voting and on Election Day. It is a good idea but not required to call your county elections office in advance to confirm your intention to use this facility.
You can find the addresses and phone numbers for all 254 counties in Texas by going to https://bit.ly/TXCtyRegistrars. To find their website, Google “[your county name] website” to find more information.
This service is reserved for those who are “physically unable to enter the polling place,” typically the mobility-impaired and/or elderly. In addition, if you are ill (meaning ill with something other than COVID-19; if you are exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19, contact your County Elections office to check if you are eligible for curbside voting and still wish to vote, you may do so with curbside voting.
Who can vote by mail
If you meet one of the following criteria, you can vote by mail:
you will be age 65 or older on or before November 3, 2020
you’re disabled
you are expected to be / will be absent from your home county for the entirety of the voting period (October 13, 2020 to November 3, 2020)
you are confined in jail but not yet adjudicated with a felony (i.e., your voting rights remain intact but you are confined in jail and not able to go to a polling location.)
Texas Election Code defines a disability as a “sickness or physical condition” that prevents a voter from appearing in person without the risk of “injuring the voter’s health”
How do I apply to vote by mail?
You can apply to vote by mail by going to https://bit.ly/VoterRegSAAVETX and clicking on the blue bar at the top of the page entitled “SIGN UP TO VOTE BY MAIL”.
While the deadline to submit the completed Application for Ballot By Mail is October 23, we HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you put it in the mail no later than October 1.
After that date, we HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you hand deliver your Application for Ballot By Mail (each person must deliver their own, and ID will be required for verification) to your County Elections office (https://bit.ly/TXCtyRegistrars) or use an overnight courier service such as FedEx or UPS (must use street address not PO Box).
Your last method to submit your completed Application for Ballot By Mail is to e-mail or fax a copy of it to your County Elections office (https://bit.ly/TXCtyRegistrars), BUT the original form MUST BE MAILED OR HAND-DELIVERED within four (4) days of the fax or email.
If you have an inconsistent or shaky signature, consider getting a witness -- a trusted person such as a spouse, friend, neighbor, family -- to sign your Application for Ballot by Mail. This person can then act as witness when you sign your completed mail-in ballot.
When can I vote by mail?
You may return your completed mail-in ballot as soon as you receive it. If you want to return it before October 13, you will need to use the US Postal Service or an overnight carrier such as FedEx or UPS. By order of the Governor, all counties in Texas must accept hand delivered completed mail-in ballots commencing on October 13. However, some of our larger counties are allowing drop-off at the County Elections office sooner than October 13, so please contact them to see if they are allowing earlier drop-offs (https://bit.ly/TXCtyRegistrars).
I’m traveling on Election Day. What do I do?
If you are expected to be / will be absent from your home county for the entirety of the voting period (October 13, 2020 to November 3, 2020), you can complete an Application for Ballot By Mail.
If you will be home for some portion of the Early Voting period, it is recommended that you vote in person during Early Voting (see Voting in Person below). If you qualify to vote by mail using one of the other qualified reasons, such as disability or age, you may apply to vote by mail under one of those provisions.
I’ve received a mail-in ballot, but I’ve changed my mind and want to vote in person. Can I do that?
Yes, you can. You must surrender your mail-in ballot to the poll worker or election judge when you go to vote in person during Early Voting or on Election Day. Then, you should be allowed to vote per normal ballot, you should not be given a Provisional Ballot. If you are given a Provisional Ballot, request a the election judge to call the county election office so that you may vote on a normal ballot.
I received a mail-in ballot, but I’ve lost it. Can I get another one?
Unfortunately, you cannot get another mail-in ballot. But you can still vote! It will have to be in person during Early Voting or on Election Day. When you go to the Polling location, inform the poll worker that you have lost your mail-in ballot, and you will be asked by the poll worker or election judge to complete a provisional ballot.
I’ve filled out all of the information on my mail-in ballot. Do I need to sign my completed vote by mail ballot?
Yes, you do. Your signature on the completed vote by mail ballot is compared to the signature on your Application For Ballot by Mail to limit fraud.
If you have an inconsistent or shaky signature, consider getting a witness -- a trusted person such as a spouse, friend, neighbor, family -- to sign your Application for Ballot by Mail AND your completed mail-in ballot.
How many stamps do I put on my completed vote by mail ballot?
While the deadline to receive the completed ballot by mail is November 4 provided that it is postmarked on or before November 3, we HIGHLY RECOMMEND you do not use the US Postal Service to deliver your completed ballot by mail after October 13, the first day of early voting. If you do use the US Postal Service, we recommend using two (2) first-class (“Forever”) stamps.
After October 13, we HIGHLY RECOMMEND one of three options:
you, and only you, must take your completed ballot to your local County Elections office (https://bit.ly/TXCtyRegistrars) and hand deliver it to them. You will need a valid form of ID to do this, or
take your ballot by mail to an early polling location, surrender it there, and vote in person; you may not drop off the completed ballot by mail at a polling location as they are not authorized to accept it, or
Return your completed ballot by mail to your County Elections office (https://bit.ly/TXCtyRegistrars) using an overnight delivery service such as FedEx (https://www.fedex.com/) or UPS (https://www.ups.com/)(must use street address not PO Box).
Other Counties If your county of residence is not listed above, click on this link to be directed to your local polling locations and times.
1. Do I want to vote by mail or in person? Assuming your college is not in the same county as your home county, if you are registered in your home county, you will need to vote by mail.
2. Where do I consider “home”? If you do not plan to return to your home county other than to visit family, you may wish to register in the county where your college is.
3. Where will your vote be “strategic”? You may feel passionately about a candidate or issue, in eitheryour home county or your college county, in which case, you may want to register to vote there. Assuming you choose to vote in your home county, you will complete an Application for Ballot by Mail under the “absent from county” provision. You will have your ballot sent to your college address, and then complete and return it just like any other person. Please make sure you do this with plenty of time.
If you have registered at your college address, and wish to vote in your college town’s elections, you would need to request an absentee ballot from that county / state (if not Texas). You should Google “[your college town] absentee voting”]. If you have registered to vote at your college address and now wish to vote at your new address and that college address is not in Texas, you need to revoke your voter registration in that other state. Google “[your college state] revoke voter registration.” If you have registered to vote at your college address and now wish to vote at your new address and that college address is in Texas, you need to complete a new voter registration application. You can request an application to register to vote by going to https://bit.ly/VoterRegSAAVETX and completing the online form. At the end of this process you will be given an option to either (1) receive a printed form in the mail for you to sign, date and enter your ID information (Texas Drivers License or State Identification number or social security number), and then return to your county in the provided prepaid envelope, or (2) download a pdf of your application for you to print, sign, date, and mail yourself.
IF YOU REQUEST AN APPLICATION TO REGISTER TO VOTE USING THIS ONLINE TOOL AFTER SEPTEMBER 15, WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU SELECT OPTION 2 AND PRINT THE PDF YOURSELF AND PLACE THE COMPLETED APPLICATION IN THE MAIL AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THE VOTER REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS POSTMARKED ON OR BEFORE OCTOBER 5.
First, take a valid form of ID.
The acceptable forms of voter ID are: 1. Texas Drivers License 2. Texas Personal Identification Card 3. Texas Election ID Certificate 4. Texas Handgun License 5. US Citizenship Certificate with Photo 6. US Military ID Card with Photo 7. US Passport (Book or ID) If you are age 69 or younger on Election Day, any of the acceptable forms of voter ID can be expired up to four (4) years as of Election Day (expired more recently than November 3, 2016). If you are 70 or older on Election Day, your ID can be expired for any length of time.
It’s ok if the address on your Drivers License does not match your registered address, though as a precaution you should take a utility bill or other official mail with your name and address matching your registered name and address.
Next, print out our Election Guide for your county. Because there is no straight ticket voting this election, you must select a specific candidate name for each office all the way down the ballot. This guide provides a complete list of Democrat candidate names and the offices they are running for to help you in this process as well as helpful info you may need at the polls such as a help hotline. Cell phones are not permitted to be on in the polls so print the Election Guide for your county and be sure to take it with you.
Other recommendations you may consider for Covid safety: bringing your own marking instrument such as a pen, pencil with eraser, or stylus to use when checking in to vote and for marking your ballot, wearing latex gloves and bringing your hand sanitizer to the polling location to use after leaving the polling locations, wearing an appropriate face mask over your nose and mouth at the polling.
For military and non-military domestic voters who properly requested a mail-in ballot though the Application for Ballot By Mail, the completed ballot must be postmarked no later than Tuesday, November 3, 2020 AND received by your County's Elections Office by 5:00pm on Wednesday, November 4, 2020. In person absentee voting is not available.
POLL WORKER
Who can be a poll worker?
•Be a registered voter in the county where you are planning to be an elections worker.
•Be at least 18 years of age.
•Have been a resident of Texas for at least 30 days
Check with County Elections Office (Some have closed applications such as Dallas & Fort Bend) Below are top counties
Bexar https://www.bexar.org/2182/Apply-as-an-Election-Official
Brazoria https://www.brazoriacountyclerk.net/departments/elections/poll-workers
Cameron https://www.cameroncounty.us/elections/index.php/poll-workers/
Collin https://www.collincountytx.gov/elections/election_information/Pages/election_worker_recruitment.aspx
Dallas https://www.dallascountyvotes.org/training-and-education/become-a-poll-worker/
Denton https://www.votedenton.com/poll-worker-program/
El Paso https://epcountyvotes.com/election_workers_volunteers/poll_worker_information
Galveston https://www.galvestonvotes.org/election-information/poll-workers/
Harris https://harrisvotes.com/PollWorkers?lang=en-US
Hidalgo https://www.hidalgocounty.us/533/Poll-Worker-Information
Lubbock - 806-775-1339, select 6, select 3, select 1, select 1, select 2 to have information mailed to you
Montgomery http://legacy.mctx.org/election/video/vid.html
McLennan https://www.co.mclennan.tx.us/549/Election-Worker-Employment
Tarrant https://www.tarrantcounty.com/en/elections/education-and-training/poll-workers.html
Travis https://countyclerk.traviscountytx.gov/elections/join-the-election-team.html
Webb https://www.webbcountytx.gov/ElectionsAdministration/PollWorkerInforamtion/
Williamson https://www.wPilco.org/Departments/Elections/Poll-Workers
VOTER PROTECTION:
Sign up for Poll Watching or Voter Protection Hotline
https://contribute.txdemocrats.org/page/signup/help-protect-texas-voters-
Voter Protection Hotline Sign Up:
We believe in the power of building communities. Calling within your district allows us to build connections that will last beyond any election cycle. Its simple and effective. Click on the link to open a phone bank document. These are districts with heavy South Asian populations.
Get started here
2. Choose a district to call
3. Create a Action ID
4. Enter phone bank
5. Use *67 if you would like to remain anonymous
6. Call scripts will be below Name and phone number
Join our regional teams here
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IpqEX7HRdNsfsUVCq6f9eQgYKN3fulCBUBI9LMpU45o/edit?usp=sharing
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IpqEX7HRdNsfsUVCq6f9eQgYKN3fulCBUBI9LMpU45o/edit?usp=sharing
This is the friends and family plan . Everyone benefits from the fruits of Democracy
Sign up click here
What is it?
It is a program to ensure eligible south Asians VOTE to significantly increase overall voter turnout. This is a perfect role for all those who have limited time to help!
Other Benefits?
To increase the number of ambassadors (each voter is a potential ambassador!) and to educate: e.g., message to vote down ballot!
What does the Ambassador have to do?
Be the guide to help voters at every step
Make a list of 25-50 voters in their network and text/email/call them to ensure: they are registered, they know who they are voting for, they know their polling station or know how to vote by mail, & have what they need when they go to vote (ID, hand sanitizer, mask, etc.)
Record progress in the Google Sheet
Stop bugging the voters only after they produce their “I Voted” sticker!!!!!
COPYRIGHT(C) 2020 SAAVETX ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
