November Election Changes

Comal County Elections Office says residents who plan to vote in the Nov. 8 general election should be aware of changes in both state photo-ID requirements and local polling places.

State laws have changed regarding identification voters need to show at the polls.

Voters with a reasonable impediment to obtaining an approved photo ID can still vote by signing an affidavit explaining the reason for the impediment, and by showing their original birth certificate or a copy or original of one of the following:

• Current utility bill
• Bank statement
• Government check
• Paycheck
• Any other government document with the voter’s name and address (if it includes a photo, it must be an original, not a copy)

The list of approved photo IDs remains the following:

• Texas driver’s license
• Texas Election Identification Certificate
• Texas personal identification card
• Texas license to carry a handgun
• U.S. military identification card with photograph
• U.S. citizenship certificate with photograph
• U.S. passport

With the exception of the citizenship certificate, the approved photo ID must be current or have been expired for no more than four years before the day it’s presented by the voter at the polling place.

Meanwhile, polling places have changed for both early and election day voting from where they were in the March primary election and May runoff election.

Early voting takes place from Oct. 24-Nov. 8 at the following locations:

• Comal County Elections Office, 178 E. Mill St., New Braunfels
• Bulverde/Spring Branch Library, 131 Bulverde Crossing
• Garden Ridge City Hall, 9400 Municipal Parkway
• Water Oriented Recreation District (WORD) office, 1928 FM 2673, Sattler

WORD offices are across the street from CRRC Building, which served as the early-voting location in previous elections.

Changes in Election Day polling places are as follows:

• Pct. 203: Christ our King Anglican Church, 115 Kings Way
  (formerly Mission Valley Bowling Club)
• Pct. 204: Comal County Bulverde Annex, 20470 Cougar Bend
  (formerly Bulverde City Hall)
• Pct. 206: Bulverde Spring Branch Fire & EMS Station 3, 30475 Johnson Way
  (formerly Johnson Ranch Elementary School)
• Pct. 302: Comal County Courthouse, 100 Main Plaza
  (formerly St. Paul Lutheran Church and First Baptist Church)
• Pct. 403: North Shore United Methodist Church, 23880 Cranes Mill Road
  (formerly Fischer Store)
• Pct. 406: Christ Presbyterian Church, 1620 Common St.
  (formerly Faith United Church of Christ)

The voter-registration deadline for the general election is Tuesday, Oct. 11. Mail-in applications must be postmarked by that date. Voters do not need to have participated in the primary elections or runoffs to vote in the general election. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 8.

Contested races on local ballots include the Comal County sheriff, representatives for U.S. House Districts 21 and 35, a seat on the Texas Railroad Commission, three places on the state Court of Criminal Appeals, three places on the Texas Supreme Court, and District 5 representative to the State Board of Education.

Voting-precinct maps and early voting times and locations, as well as the list of new polling places and links to the Texas Secretary of State’s guidance on the loosened photo-ID requirements, can be found at the Comal County elections webpage, votecomal.com. Sample ballots will be uploaded as soon as they are available.