Vote Centers OK'd for November Election

At its meeting today, the Travis County Commissioners Court unanimously approved the use of vote centers for the November 2012 Presidential election.

Vote centers, or countywide polling places, give people the option to vote at any polling location in the county.

Travis County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir says that vote centers are more convenient than traditional precincts and eliminate some confusion. She says that’s especially true considering that without the vote centers, the county would be required to add about 30 new polling locations for the November election because of redistricting.  

Travis County Tax Office Voter Registration Director Dee Lopez says the redistricting changes affect most voters.

"Ninety-six percent have a change in either their district or their precinct. So you can see we're such advocates of vote centers because people will be confused. They already are," said Lopez.

During today's meeting some expressed concerns about whether vote centers would increase the opportunity for voter fraud and whether the system would save the county money. But commissioners agreed with DeBeauvoir and Lopez that getting voters to the polls was most important.