Election Day 2018: The Dos And Don'ts Before Voting

HOUSTON, TX — It’s the big day in Texas, and there are many who may be voting for the very first time and others who have not missed chance to vote since they were legally able to cast a ballot.

Wherever you fall in those categories, there things every should know before casting a ballot, and know what you can or cannot do in a polling place.

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First, there are things everyone has to bring with them into the voting place. These include:

• A valid driver’s license
• A US Passport
• A concealed handgun license
• A Military identification card
• A US Citizens certificate with photograph

• A government document that shows your name and an address, including your voter registration certificate
• Current utility bill
• Bank statement
• Government check
• Paycheck
• (a) A certified domestic (from a U.S. state or territory) birth certificate or (b) a document confirming birth admissible in a court of law which establishes your identity (which may include a foreign birth document)

Now that this is settled, there are things you cannot not bring or do anywhere near a voting booth or polling place. Here are a few examples:

• Guns or explosives: Sure, Texas is open carry now, but the gun should stay at home or locked up in your vehicle. Don’t bring it snapped on your hip into the voting area. Explosives, such as fireworks for instance, have no place in a voting area either. You will be arrested, even if this is a joke, which it's not, so save them for Independence Day.
• No Selfies Please: Young people today love the selfie. They love taking them and sharing them with the world, but it’s frowned upon in the voting booth. Officials ask that cell phones be either turned off or left in your vehicle while voting. In fact, they are banned within 100 feet of a voting establishment. This also includes laptops, cameras, or other electronic devices. Keep them far away when you're voting, please.
• Election Swag: Whether you love Beto or love Ted, your clothing or other election swag should not be worn to the polls. In fact, it can get you in trouble with elections judges, and you could be escorted out as well as get a fine for electioneering. That means t-shirts, election buttons or pins that tell the world your a voting red, blue, or purple should be left at home until after you’ve voted.

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