Harwood, Texas Public Records

Texas residents can register to vote online at www.votetexas.gov or by submitting a paper application obtained from the Gonzales County Clerk, local library branches, or downloaded from the state website. Registration applications must be postmarked or submitted at least 30 days before any election. Applicants must be U.S. Citizens, Texas residents, at least 18 years old by election day, and not finally convicted of a felony unless they've fully completed all sentences including parole and supervision. Registration requires either a Texas driver's license or ID card number, or the last four digits of a Social Security number. As an unincorporated community, Harwood has no municipal government and therefore no city elections for mayor or council positions. Instead, residents vote in Gonzales County elections for county commissioners, sheriff, county clerk, district attorney, county judge, and other county offices, along with state and federal races. The Commissioners Court divides the county into four single-member precincts, with Harwood voters participating in Precinct 1. Residents can locate their assigned polling place using the Texas Secretary of State's polling place locator at www.votetexas.gov or by contacting the County Elections office. Polling locations are determined by voter registration address and precinct boundaries. Early voting for countywide elections typically takes place at the Gonzales County Courthouse and potentially other designated sites, with extended hours throughout the early voting period. Texas election law treats voter registration lists as public records available for purchase for political purposes. Campaign finance reports for candidates and political committees are filed with the Texas Ethics Commission and accessible at www.ethics.state.tx.us. After canvassing and certification, the Clerk publishes precinct-level election results, with detailed breakdowns available at the courthouse and often posted online. Individual voter history showing which elections a person voted in is public record, though actual ballot choices remain secret.Current federal, state, and local election schedules, ballot contests, candidate filings, and certified results for Harwood voters are published by the Texas Secretary of State Elections Division (https://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/). All 150 Texas House seats appear on the ballot; Harwood falls within House District 30. County voters will also decide races for County Judge, the chief executive officer of county government, County Commissioner for their precinct if that term expires, Sheriff, County Clerk, District Clerk, County Treasurer, Tax Assessor-Collector, and various constables and justices of the peace. County or special district governing bodies may also place local ballot measures or bond propositions before voters. Texas offers limited mail-in voting, restricting absentee ballots to voters who are 65 or older, disabled, out of the county during the entire early voting period and election day, or confined in jail but eligible to vote. Applications for mail ballots must be received by the Gonzales County Clerk by close of business on the 11th day before election day, postmark date doesn't count. Applications are available at www.votetexas.gov or from the Gonzales County Clerk. Completed mail ballots must be postmarked by election day and received by the following day, or hand-delivered to the Gonzales County Clerk by 7:00 PM on election day. Texas doesn't offer no-excuse absentee voting; voters not meeting the specific criteria must vote in person during early voting or on election day.