Early voting for the Democratic and Republican primary elections begins Tuesday, February 20.
Voters have 11 days of early voting to select the day that works best for them to cast their vote ahead of election day, Tuesday, March 6.
However, as Dorothy Kennedy, administrator for the Lubbock County elections office, advised: the earlier the better, read up on your candidates and be prepared.
“Our longest lines are on the Thursday and Friday of the last week, so plan ahead. The longer you wait the longer the lines are,” Kennedy said.
To help with this, Kennedy suggested voters pick up sample ballots before heading to the polls. They can do so at the elections office and at any of the 11 United (United Supermarkets, Amigos, Market Street) locations.
By picking up sample ballots, voters get an idea of what to expect when they fill out the ballots saving the voter from both stress and a time crunch. Voters can also download it from the site: votelubbock.org.
Kennedy also suggested researching all the candidates. She shared the office has received multiple calls from residents most curious about the county judge and county commissioner elections.
Voters will need to provide a physical form of I.D., meaning you cannot present one on your phone, although other forms include current utility bills and checks.
In addition the the newer voting machines first introduced last year in 2017, there will be another new feature rolling out this election season, one that aims to make the voter feel more comfortable.
“In the past workers would ask voters for their party preference, ‘which election would you like to be voting in?'” Kennedy said..
“Now, the state law has said you can go ahead and make and show which party you would like to vote in . So if you don’t want to verbally say what party you would like to be affiliated with, you can just simply point to the box of the party of your choice. So that’s new for voters,” explained Kennedy.
For more on voter information, questions, concerns, visit the elections site by clicking here, or contact the office at 806-775-1339.
The Lubbock County Elections office is located at 1308 Crickets Avenue.
