Texans 50 and older are among the most eager to vote in the upcoming midterm elections. A recent AARP poll shows 84% rate themselves a 10 out of 10 in terms of their motivation to vote. But many seniors are barred by one significant obstacle – physical access.
KUT Long View producer and host Jennifer Stayton sat down with Travis County Clerk Dyana Limon-Mercado to discuss the process of mail-in voting as it pertains to the senior population. Here are some highlights from their conversation.
On qualifying for a mail-in ballot
In Texas, only certain groups are eligible to vote by mail, including:
- People 65 and older
- Those who are pregnant and expected to deliver within three weeks of the election
- Voters traveling out of the county during early voting and Election Day
- Sick or disabled voters
- Incarcerated voters
- Voters civilly committed under Chapter 841 of the state's Health and Safety Code
Texas voters 65 and older are required by law to reapply for a mail-in ballot every election year. Limon-Mercado said this is part of the Texas Legislature's conservative approach to voting by mail.
"They want to limit the application for ballot by mail to the fewest number of qualified voters as possible," she said.
Applying to vote by mail
To vote by mail in the upcoming midterms, applications must be received by the early voting clerk in your county by Friday, October 23.
Voters can obtain an Application for Ballot by Mail (ABBM) online or in person at their county's early voting clerk's office. Eligible voters may use a single form for all elections within the year. The voter must mark "Annual Application" on their ABBM.
To complete the form, voters need to provide their Texas driver license number, state ID card number or the last four digits of their Social Security number, whichever one they used to initially register to vote.
Limon-Mercado recommends voters list all of those numbers on their ABBM.
"If you're like me, I registered to vote over twenty years ago," she said. "I have no idea – did I use my driver's license? Did I use my Social?"
Getting assistance with the mail-in ballot process
If a voter needs help with applying to vote by mail or filling out the ballot, Limon-Mercado said they can work with anyone they trust, with a few restrictions. That person can't be their employer or someone affiliated with their union, for example.
Travis County Clerk election workers are also available to help at the office on Airport Boulevard.
If approved to vote by mail, voters in Travis County will receive an envelope from the clerk's office with their ballot, mailing envelopes and instructions for returning the completed ballot.
Voters can check the status of their application or ballot on votetravis.gov and votetexas.gov.
Limon-Mercado said the state recently experienced delays with its application status tracking. Because of this, she said voters are welcome to call the Travis County Clerk's office to ask about their status.
Some final tips about the process
Limon-Mercado said the sooner voters apply for mail-in ballots, the better. The closer an application is sent to the deadline, the less room there is for correcting any errors.
Voters are able to use whatever carrier service they want to return their mail-in ballot. They can also hand-deliver it to their local county clerk's office.
If someone with a mail-in ballot decides to vote in person, Limon-Mercado said they can do so by surrendering their mail-in ballot at a polling site.
Limon-Mercado calls seniors Travis County's "best voters."
"Number one, they're well-versed in the procedures," she said. "And I will say they are generally the constituency that has done the most research on their ballot."
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