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"Tuesday is Election Day. To help you, we answer questions about voting in Texas: Q: Who can vote? A: Anyone registered by the Oct. 6 deadline who has not already voted in the general election. Q: How do I know if I am registered? A: If you don't have a current registration card, check with your county's voter registrar or election administrator. Harris and other counties allow you to search for your name on a Web site. Go to www.tax.co.harris.tx.us/voter/voter.asp or call 713-368-VOTE in Harris County. For a list of contacts in other counties, go to www.chron.com/politics and click \"Information for surrounding counties.\" Q: When and where can I vote on Tuesday? A: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. If you're in line by 7 p.m. you should be allowed to vote. You can vote only at the single polling place assigned to the precinct in which you are registered. Early voting was different. Q: How do I find out where the polling place for my precinct is located? A: Look in Tuesday's Chronicle or go to www.chron.com/politics, where you can type your address and see your precinct number, polling location, a list of races in which you can vote and information about the candidates. Q: Can I see a sample ballot before I vote? A: Yes, there'll be one at your polling place and there's already one on the Chronicle site listed above. Q: What happens when I get to my polling place? A: Present your registration card or driver's license or government ID, or passport, utility bill or other document to an election worker. (No photo ID needed). He or she will check whether you are on the computer list of registered voters that is maintained by the voter registrar's office. Q: And if I'm on the list? A: After getting your signature, an election worker will hand you a slip of paper showing a four-digit code. Next, go to a voting machine and enter the code and start voting. The code is not used to identify how you vote. Q: What if I'm not on the list? A: Maybe you're at the wrong precinct. An election worker can tell you that. They should instruct you to go to the proper polling place. If you're not on the county list, an election worker can check on your registration status by calling the voter registrar's office while you wait. If you think you are at the correct location after all, or that you registered to vote and got left off the county list, you can still vote on the spot by signing a form that allows you to vote on a provisional basis. Your votes will be set aside in a computer database until election officials determine, within a week after the election, whether you really were registered and had voted at the correct location. If not, your votes won't count. Q: How do I operate the voting machine? A: Harris County uses eSlate \"click wheel\" tablets that register your choices electronically. Some other counties use electronic \"touch screen\" technology. ESlate instructions are included on each screen; instructions are available in English, Spanish and Vietnamese. If you are unable to operate the machine correctly, election workers, in pairs so that each person's actions can be observed by another person, can assist you. You can also be accompanied to the voting booth by a relative, caretaker or friend. Machines are equipped for use by those with physical limitations. Q: What if I make a mistake? A: Review your choices on the summary screens before pressing the \"cast ballot\" button. You can go back and change your votes, but after you press that final red button, it's too late. Q: How much time do I have to finish voting at the machine? A: There's no time limit. Q: Can I prepare to use the eSlate ahead of time? A: Yes, the manufacturer's demonstration video is at www.harrisvotes.com Q: Can I bring election materials into the polling place? A: You can bring a sample ballot, endorsement list, personalized list of candidates, etc., as long as it does not contain a visible advertisement. Q: What's not allowed? A: Signs, shirts, caps, buttons and other objects that advertise a candidate, party, cause, etc. Q: What's the \"straight ticket?\" A: If you select the Republican, Democratic or Libertarian straight ticket choice on the voting machine, you are voting for every candidate on the ballot with that party's affiliation, except in the race for state Senate District 17, an open race for a seat that includes parts of several Houston-area counties. Q: Can I use that one-party option and still vote for a candidate from another party in one or more races? A: Yes. Let's say you press the Libertarian Party option but want to vote for a Democratic candidate for a felony court bench and a Republican candidate for a civil court bench. Your straight party vote still applies to the other races, while selecting a candidate from another party in one or more contests changes your vote from the Libertarian candidate. Q: But what if I select the straight ticket option and, to make sure, also select that party's candidate in the presidential race? A: Careful - this will negate your vote for president, and the machine should show a warning. It's important to check the summary screens that show how you voted before casting your ballot. Source: County Clerk Beverly Kaufman; state election law"
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