Elections

What You Need to Know for Election Day in North Texas

It's the final push to get voters out to the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 8

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It’s the final sprint to the midterm elections on Tuesday, with several races to watch.

There is also a huge push to get voters out the door because early numbers in key North Texas counties and across this state are down significantly from the 2018 midterm election, according to the Texas secretary of state.

Turnout in Texas was 53% in 2018, but this year, it’s expected to be closer to 35%.

Dallas County’s early voting turnout was 23% lower than in 2018. It's the biggest decrease among North Texas counties.

Early voting ended on Friday, which was a rainy day, and tends to history affect voter turnout.

Collin County Elections Administrator Bruce Sherbet spoke to NBC 5 about the numbers differing from 2018.

“It was an anomaly of an election.  It was more tracking like a presidential turnout.  We set all kind of records in that election,” said Collin County Elections Administrator Bruce Sherbet.

Sherbet points to the high interest in the senate race between Senator Ted Cruz and former El Paso Representative Beto O’Rourke.

“It really had a lot of interest from the voters.  That we could tell that from the first day of voting once we started early voting. This one we don’t get the same sense of that. Now the turnout hasn’t been bad, it’s just not the same kind of turnout we had four years ago,” added Sherbet.

HOW TO VOTE

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day.

Photo ID is required. Voters who do not present valid ID are allowed to cast a provisional ballot, but must provide valid ID to their voter registrar's office at a later date in order for their ballot to be counted.

Voters who are unable to provide a form of valid photo ID can sign an affidavit attesting to that fact and cast a ballot. Valid forms of ID are listed here.

Heads up: In 2020, some counties offered drive-thru voting. In 2022, drive-thru voting is no longer permitted.

Voters must also now must provide a driver's license number or the last 4 digits of their Social Security number on applications for mail ballots and on completed mail ballots. This was not required in 2020.

In 2022, new rules for people who assist voters who need help filling out their ballots require the person providing that assistance to recite an oath stating that they did not pressue the voter. The rules also require the helper to fill out new paperwork disclosing their relationship, if any, to the voter.

Ballot tracking now available statewide. It was previously only available in certain counties.

You can also click here to access the 2022 Plan Your Vote tool by NBC News to help you plan your day.

BIG TEXAS RACES

There are big races at stake in Texas.

The face-off between Republican incumbent Greg Abbott, who is seeking a third term as governor, and Democrat challenger Beto O'Rourke is the big one for Texans that has dominated headlines for the past year.

As voters prepare to elect their next governor, both candidates have door knocking and traveling across parts of North Texas and beyond in the final days of their campaigns, which has already been labeled the most expensive in Texas history.

Low turnout in Dallas County doesn’t bode well for O’Rourke, who has said he needs to get strong numbers in Democratic cities and to build on gains in Tarrant County in 2018 and 2020.

There's also a rematch between Republican Dan Patrick and Democrat Mike Collier for Texas Lt. Governor, who both competed for the same title back in 2018.

The race for Texas Attorney General pits Republican Ken Paxton to fight for his long held position against Democratic challenger Rochell Mercedes Garza.

Click here for more information on the midterm elections in Texas, who is on the ballot, and what important propositions voters will need to cast a decision on.

Meantime, first lady Dr. Jill Biden was in the state over the weekend addressing a congregation in Houston and encouraging everyone to get out and vote on Tuesday.

“We must speak up for justice and democracy. We must fight for families who are struggling. We must vote,” she said.

SCHOOL CLOSURES

Parents should also be aware of changes on Election Day that could affect their child’s school.

Many schools are being turned into polling places so there's a safety concern with allowing so many people on campus.

That's why several Texas schools and districts will be closed to students on Tuesday for election day.

The student holiday impacts some Dallas and Forth Worth ISD campuses, along with Keller, Garland, Richardson, and Birdville school districts.

Not all local schools are cancelling classes so parents will need to check their student's calendar.

HOW TO WATCH

Plan to watch NBC  5 on Tuesday night for complete midterm coverage. We'll have crews across Texas for all the big races.

We'll also be live streaming for two full hours. Find us on the Roku channel – look for NBC Dallas Fort Worth News or channel 135 in your guide.

You'll find us in a few other places like Samsung TV Plus and Fire TV, too.

Just go to www.nbcdfw.com/everywhere for information on how to find us on your favorite device.

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