If you’re a voter in Dallas County, you should have gotten a mailer warning you that your polling place might change based on your timing.
Long story short, you should vote early. Really. Waiting until election day on March 3 could be a headache if you’re like most people, trying to squeeze in your civic duty while going about your busy life.
Here’s the thing: We’re used to casting ballots at any polling place in this county, whether we vote early or on election day. Long gone were the days when you had to look up the polling place that was assigned to you based on your address and the party whose primary you wanted to vote in.
The Dallas County Republican Party, however, succeeded in its ploy to turn back the clock and make it so that on election day, everyone in Dallas County has to vote in their precinct, whether Republican or Democrat. And the polling places for the same home address might be different depending on what party primary you want to participate in.
Opinion
During early voting, however, you can vote at any polling location in the county, no matter what your party. So you can stop wherever it’s most convenient, whether that’s a location close to your workplace if it’s in Dallas County, on the way to school (or perhaps even at your kids’ school) or somewhere in your immediate neighborhood.
Early voting is underway now, through the weekend and up to Friday of next week. If you don’t vote by then, March 3 will be your last chance.
On election day, however, you’ll have to look up your precinct voting place based on your party. If you decide to wait until then, we recommend you look up your assigned voting place ahead of time.
To find your assigned polling place on election day, go to dallascountyvotes.org, and click on “Vote Center Finder.” Then go to the “Election Day” icons, and choose either the Democratic Party or the Republican Party. The county’s interactive map allows you to punch in your address to pinpoint your precinct polling site. But remember, it is party-dependent.
Or, you can vote early and save yourself all this trouble.
No matter when you vote, you should put in the effort to research candidates and what they stand for. While the U.S. Senate races have gotten most of the attention, this election includes races from Texas governor to judges. Visit our Voter Guide at dallasnews.com/voterguide to review questionnaires for more than 280 candidates.
We also met with more than 70 candidates in 43 races to give you our recommendations. Unlike most groups that issue endorsements, we explain the reasoning behind our recommendations. You can read those recommendations at dallasnews.com/opinion.
A lot is riding on your vote. So inform yourself, choose wisely and vote early.