Are YOU REGISTERED to VOTE?
-
Have you moved to Montgomery County since the last election cycle or last time you voted?
-
Has your address changed?
-
Has your name or marital status changed?
-
Have you ever registered to vote or are unsure?
All these are reasons to IMMEDIATELY CHECK your voter registration status. Just because you registered to vote at the driver's license office DOES NOT mean you are registered to vote. At every poll, there are always a handful of people who checked the box at the DMV to register to vote and it didn't happen.
The SOLUTION?
Montgomery County has a fabulous and easy solution. Everything at your fingertips:
New to Texas?
Welcome! Texas is a new world when it comes to politics and especially in Primary Races. In Texas, you do not have to register for one party or another. You are mostly free to vote as you please, except in a primary party run-off. In the run-off, you must vote in the party run-off that you voted in initially. So, yes, that means you can do what is called a cross-over vote. You can vote in the Democratic party primary and as a Republican in the General Election. While we do not recommend that, you have a lot more freedoms in Texas in this way.
Primary Elections are truly what matter in Texas. The results of the primary determines who gets to run against the opposing party in the General Election. The Party Primary is where all of us attempt to weed out the less than great candidates.
Who to trust?
This is a tough one. Unfortunately, Montgomery County is a heated Republican territory and it is important that it remain solidly Republican, BUT the division in the County is primarily between Republicans, which is truly sad. It also makes for a lot of confusion and unnecessary mud-slinging.
The solution? As a PAC and as individuals, we at Republican Voters of Texas PAC HIGHLY encourage you to do your homework on candidates, on political leadership in the county. How? Google. Social media pages. Linked In. What's their day job? How long have they lived in the County? How are they involved in their community? Do they only do political things?
We also invite you to check out the official Montgomery County Republican Party website page and subscribe to their notifications, emails, etc. There you can get information about almost everything political going on in the County. www.mcrptx.org
Other places to be involved? There are many Republican clubs and Republican Women's Clubs in the County. Many of the advisory board members of Republican Voters of Texas PAC are active in local Republican clubs.
GOING TO THe POLLS...
The polls here have a few RULES:
1) Currently, you do not have to bring your voter's registration card, BUT, you must bring an official form of ID, preferably your current driver's license. Military IDs, current passports, license to carry are amongst other forms of ID accepted.
2) You may not wear political paraphernalia into the polls. Yes, you may wear your US or Texas Flag shirt or your veterans ballcap, but nothing supporting a particular candidate. You will be sent home or told to go to the restroom to turn your shirt inside out and come back and vote.
Where to vote...
You will learn from www.MontgomeryVotes.org where your standard voting box is for any given election, but things are changing. Don't assume your next voting location will be the same. Montgomery County is growing exponentially and as a result, our voting precincts are shifting and new ones are being added due to increased populations.
Also, often, in Early Voting or Run-off Elections, precinct voting locations will be combined. Often, in early voting, there are a few polls that allow anyone in county to vote at that location.
Rule of thumb, always look up location and times before you head to the polls. Don't trust your instinct and arrive at the polls 5 minutes before close only to find out you're at the wrong poll.
Those confusing voter guides...
Weeks before elections, your mailbox will be inundated with Voters Guides. They may look like an easy solution. And, yes, you may take your hard copy voter guide into the polls. (You can't use your phone while voting.)
BUT, are you aware that most of those VOTER GUIDES are the recommendations of a very small handful of people.
1) Do your own homework on candidates. (Your actual ballot can be found at www.MontgomeryVotes.org so you can see who is on the ballot, both for primaries and general election.)
2) Consider how many people on the voter guide are making those recommendations. See if you can find out. It is often only be 5-6 people. Or it may be a large national political action committee, not someone local who knows local people.
3) Consider Republican Voters of Texas PAC. Our endorsing Advisory Board consists of almost 100 people. 100 long term Republicans are making their broad recommendations.