Bluff Dale, Texas Public Records

Texas residents including those in Bluff Dale can register to vote online through the Texas Secretary of State website at www.texas.gov or by completing a voter registration application available from the County Elections office, libraries, and various state agencies. Applications must be submitted or postmarked at least 30 days before an election. Eligibility requirements include U.S. Citizenship, being at least 18 years old by Election Day, county residency, not being finally convicted of a felony (or having completed all sentence requirements including probation and parole), and not being declared mentally incapacitated by a court. Texas requires one of seven acceptable forms of photo ID to vote: Texas driver's license, Texas election identification certificate, Texas personal ID card, Texas handgun license, U.S. Military ID card, U.S. Citizenship certificate with photo, or U.S. Passport. As an unincorporated community without municipal government, Bluff Dale has no city council or mayoral elections. Residents instead participate in Erath County, state, and federal contests. County races include County Judge, County Commissioners (four precincts), Sheriff, County Clerk, District Clerk, County Attorney, Tax Assessor-Collector, and other county offices. These partisan contests typically occur during the November general election in even-numbered years, with party primaries held in March. Residents can locate their assigned polling place using the Texas Secretary of State's polling place lookup tool at www.sos.texas.gov or by contacting the Erath County Elections Administrator. Since polling locations may change, voters should verify their assignment before each election. Early voting occurs at the Erath County Courthouse and potentially other locations announced before each election, typically beginning 17 days before Election Day and ending four days prior. Texas public information law makes certain election records publicly accessible. Voter registration lists are available for purchase by political parties, candidates, and registered organizations for political purposes. Campaign finance reports for county and local candidates are filed with the Erath County Clerk and are public records available for inspection. State-level candidate filings and campaign finance reports are accessible through the Texas Ethics Commission at www.ethics.state.tx.us. Election results by precinct are public records maintained by the Elections Administrator and typically posted on the Erath County website following certification. The county has historically supported Republican candidates by substantial margins.Current federal, state, and local election schedules, ballot contests, candidate filings, and certified results for Bluff voters are published by the Texas Secretary of State Elections Division (https://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/). One U.S. County voters will elect officials including potentially County Judge, Sheriff, County and District Clerks, and a County Commissioner for one of the four precincts (commissioners serve four-year staggered terms). Judicial positions including district judges and justices of the peace may also appear on the ballot. Voters should check with the Erath County Elections office or www.votetexas.gov for a complete sample ballot closer to the election date. Texas requires an excuse for mail-in (absentee) voting. Eligible excuses include: being 65 years or older, having a disability or illness, being confined in jail but eligible to vote, or being away from the county during the early voting period and on Election Day. Applications for mail-in ballots must be submitted to the Erath County Elections Administrator and received (not postmarked) by the 11th day before Election Day. Voted ballots must be received by 7:00 PM on Election Day, not just postmarked. Applications are available at www.sos.texas.gov or from the Erath County elections office.