Mail-In ballots sent out Thursday in Smith County

TYLER — The Smith County Elections Office sent out 8,447 mail-in ballots requested by Smith County voterson Thursday. According to a press brief, if you applied for a mail-in ballot, and are eligible to receive one, it should be on its way through the U.S. Postal Service. It will arrive in an 11 ½ by 4 ½ green envelope with the “Official Election Mail” seal on the front. For those wanting to vote by mail, you can still apply to receive a mail-in ballot by calling 903-590-4777 or visiting http://www.votetexas.gov.

The deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot is October 23. To be eligible to vote early by mail in Texas, you must:
be 65 years or older;
be sick or disabled;
be out of the county on election day and during the period for early voting by personal appearance; or be confined in jail, but otherwise eligible.

When you receive your mail-in ballot, mark it with your votes and mail it in via the U.S. Postal Service (don’t forget a stamp!) or contract courier such as UPS or FedEx. You can also hand deliver your own ballot with your photo ID to the Elections Office, 302 E. Ferguson, anytime during business hours, up until 7 p.m. on Election Day, November 3.

If you deliver it in person, you will be required to sign a log and show your photo ID. The deadline to receive the ballot is Election Day, but it will be counted if it is received on November 4, as long as it has been postmarked for November 3, Elections Administrator Karen Nelson said.

To report concerns of fraud or for questions about the mail-in ballot process or guidelines, call the Texas Secretary of State Elections Division, at 1-800-252-8683.

For more information about applying to vote by mail, visit: https://www.sos.texas.gov/elections/voter/reqabbm.shtml