Dallas, Tarrant Counties Make Changes In Hopes Of Ensuring Trouble-Free Early Voting
DALLAS-FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - Starting Tuesday, Texas Republicans, Democrats, and Independents can vote early for the March 3 primary, where they'll select their choices for President, U.S. Senate, Congress and state and county offices.
To make sure everything runs smoothly, Dallas and Tarrant Counties Elections Administrators say they've made some changes.
Dallas County spent $4 million to buy 4,200 new electronic polling books from the same company that makes the county's voting machines.
While the voting machines aren't connected to the internet, the polling books, which have voters' information, are.
The polling books used in November were also new, but from a different company that didn't meet the county's security protocols.
Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said the new ones do.
"The polling books that we'll be using are fully compatible with our rigorous security system and should completely be resolved," said Judge Jenkins.
Both counties bought new equipment for the voting centers, which debuted in November.
They allow residents to vote in any polling location in their county during early voting and on election day.
In both Dallas and Tarrant Counties, elections administrators redoubled their efforts to make sure polling workers are trained on the equipment.
Heider Garcia, Tarrant County Elections Administrator said, "Training is key. People have to know what they have to do out there. That's why we have put a lot of effort into redesigning the training manuals and contents. We've made online videos for poll workers, which we're about to publish, so they have ways to refresh, study, and go over the content again."
For the first time in Dallas County, elections administrator Toni Pippins Poole says Republicans and Democrats can vote in the same polling location whether voting early or on election day.
"So machines will be there regardless of what party that you're voting in. You have the opportunity to use any of the machines that are available."
Both Dallas and Tarrant Counties have 47 early voting polling locations, but far more on election day.
Starting Tuesday and through Friday, early voting takes place between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
Then on Saturday, and next Monday through Friday, early voting takes place between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.
There is voting Sunday, but the hours depend on what county you're in.