Travis County Clerk

Public Hearing on Vote Centers

The Travis County Commissioners Court has set a public hearing for April 17, 2012 in the Commissioners Courtroom (map) to receive public comment on the option to use vote centers in future elections beginning November 2012.  The County Clerk's office has also requested that the Court take action to approve the use of vote centers for the November 6, 2012 Presidential election.

A 2012 program would follow the successful implementation of vote centers for the November 8, 2011 Constitutional Amendment Election. For that pilot, Travis County adopted an approach to its vote center program by having all of its regular Election Day precinct polling places operate as vote centers.

The program proved to be highly popular with voters, with approximately 32 percent of all Election Day voters casting a ballot at a location outside their home precinct. Feedback about the program was received from voters, workers, activists, and representatives from local jurisdictions participating in the election, and from members of the County Clerk's Election Task Force. During the election, no complaints about Travis' vote centers were received by our office or by the Texas Secretary of State. Post-election analysis of voter participation indicated that turnout increased by 1.41 percent, and that individuals who were initially the least predisposed to vote were the most likely to utilize the vote centers.

As we approach potentially another record-setting Presidential election, we believe that vote centers will offer key advantages to help overcome any potential confusion from voters who participate only in large elections every two or four years, as well as those affected by changes to precincts and polling places affected by redistricting. Without vote centers, we also face the need to add approximately 29 new polling locations, with related staff and equipment cost exceeding $500,000 as a result of redistricting.

We are writing to urge your participation in the public hearing and/or to solicit your feedback about the use of vote centers in Travis County. If you cannot attend the hearing, please consider sending your comments to the County Clerk so they may be included in the public record in your absence. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact my office at 854-4996.

Best regards,
Dana DeBeauvoir
Travis County Clerk
www.traviscountyelections.org
512-238-VOTE (512-238-8683)