Brooks County Texas

"Am I Registered" 

If you would like to check your registration status, you can log onto the Secretary of State Web page.

Click link below:

https://teamrv-mvp.sos.texas.gov/MVP/mvp.do

Texas Secretary of State

State Capitol

P O Box 12060

Austin, TX   78711

800 252-8683

REGISTER TO VOTE

LAST DAY TO REGISTER BEFORE THE

November General Election 

is on Monday, October 07, 2024 at 5:00 P.M.

Voter registration applications are used for new applicants, name changes, address changes or any other change to reflect updated information to a voter record.

You may obtain an application as follows:

• You may request an application from this office by phone (361) 325-5670 X 369
• You may request an application vie email (agarcia@co.brooks.tx.us)
• You may stop by the office and register in person (203 S Calixto Mora Ave)
• You may download the application, print it, sign it and mail or deliver application to “The Elections Office”

         www.votetexas.gov

        https://www.votetexas.gov/es/index.html

 
Questions you may have.

1. Where do I send my voter registration application?

Brooks County Election Administrator

203 S Calixto Mora Ave

Falfurrias Tx, 78355

 2. Can I transfer my registration from my old County instead of completing another application?

No, you must complete a new application for Brooks County

 3. Can I register one day before Election day and still vote?

No, you must register 30 days prior to any State, Federal, County, or Local Election.

MILITARY & OVERSEAS VOTERS   

Military and Overseas Voters

U.S. citizens residing outside the United States along with members of the Uniformed Services and their family members are eligible to use the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) form to request a by-mail ballot. The FPCA also serves as an application for temporary voter registration for eligible citizens not currently registered to vote. Please review the following requirements and information for requesting a ballot via the FPCA form.

Texas Residency

Having a permanent residence address in Brooks County is a prerequisite to requesting ballots from Brooks County. Residence is defined in Section 1.015 of the Texas Election Code as the voter’s permanent home to which he or she intends to return after any temporary absence. This definition implies that you must have lived at the location at one time and intend to return, so generally you cannot list a location where you have never been physically present.

U.S. citizens whose most recent domicile was in Brooks County, but whose intent to return is uncertain may vote a federal ballot only. Voters in this category must indicate in the “Remarks” area of the FPCA that they are applying for a federal ballot only.

How to obtain an FPCA form

Postage-paid FPCA forms are available from U.S. embassies, consulates, and from the voting assistance officer at each military installation. An online version of the FPCA form is available from the website of the Federal Voting Assistance Program.                   Click here to view and print the online FPCA form

Completing the FPCA

• The last 4 digits of your Social Security number OR your Texas driver’s license number is required for voter registration in Texas.
• You must provide your political party preference in Item 6 of the FPCA form if you wish to vote in Primary elections. Party preference is not required if you are requesting by-mail ballots only for general elections.
• It is strongly recommended that FPCA applicants provide an e-mail address and fax number (if available) in the “Remarks” section of the FPCA so that we can quickly contact you if your application is missing required information.

Submitting the completed FPCA form

A completed FPCA form must be submitted to the Elections Administration Department by mail, common contract carrier, or by fax. If submitting the FPCA by fax, please also send the original form to us by mail. Please note that unlike the cardstock version of the FPCA, users of the online FPCA must place the printed form in an envelope and affix postage. At present there are no provisions to allow for submission of the FPCA through the Internet. Please return your FPCA to:     

203 S Calixto Mora Ave        Falfurrias, TX  78355      T ( 361) 325-5670 x 369

The Federal Voting Assistance Program also provides assistance in faxing FPCA forms from locations outside the United States. See this website for more information: http://www.fvap.gov/contact/toll-free-fax/index.html

Voter Registration

• People with disabilities have the right to register to vote so long as they are eligible, which means they:
  • Are citizens of the United States;
  • Are at least 17 years and 10 months old at time of registration (but to vote, they must be 18 years of age by Election Day);
  • Have not been finally convicted of a felony, or if they have been convicted, have completed all of their punishment, including any term of incarceration, parole, supervision, probation, or have received a pardon;
    • Note: Deferred adjudication is not a final felony conviction.
  • Have not been determined by a final judgment of a court exercising probate jurisdiction to be totally mentally incapacitated or partially mentally incapacitated without the right to vote.
• Individuals who have legal guardians may be eligible to register, depending on whether the court took away their right to vote. All guardianship orders issued after September 1, 2007 must state whether the individual can vote.
• People with disabilities can receive assistance registering to vote from any state agency that provides services to persons with disabilities or from any person they choose.

Accessible Voting Systems

• On September 1, 1999, Texas became the first state to require that all new voting systems be accessible to voters with disabilities and provide a practical and effective means for voters with disabilities to cast a secret ballot.
• In every federal election (and most nonfederal elections), each polling place will offer at least one type of accessible voting equipment or Direct Record Electronic (“DRE”) device. This equipment allows voters with disabilities to vote directly on the system or assist them in marking the paper ballot. Depending on the type of system, voters with disabilities may use headphones or other assistive devices to help them vote independently and secretly.
• In certain nonfederal elections held in counties with a population of less than 20,000, accessible machines may not be available at every polling place. To determine if accessible machines will be available or to request an accommodation, contact the early voting clerk of the county or political subdivision holding the election at least 21 days before the election.

All Polling Places in Texas Must be Accessible

Polling places should support voters, not hinder them. When you go to the polls in Texas, you can expect:

• Your polling place will meet strict accessibility standards, including:
• A location on the ground floor that can be entered from the street or via an elevator with doors that open at least 36 inches
• Doors, entrances, and exits used to enter or leave the polling place that are at least 32 inches wide
• Any curb next to the main entrance to the polling place must have curb-cuts or temporary non-slip ramps
• Stairs necessary to enter or leave the polling place must have handrails on each side and a non-slip ramp.
• Removal of all barriers such as gravel, automatically closing gates, closed doors without lever-type handles, or any other barrier that impedes the path of the physically disabled to the voting station.
• Voting systems that are accessible to voters with physical disabilities and can accommodate no vision, low vision, no hearing, low hearing, limited manual dexterity, limited reach, limited strength, no mobility, low mobility, or any combination of the foregoing (except the combination of no hearing and no vision)
• Each polling place will offer at least one type of accessible voting equipment or Direct Record Electronic (“DRE”) device. This equipment allows voters with disabilities to vote directly on the system or assist them in marking the paper ballot. Depending on the type of system, voters with disabilities may use headphones or other assistive devices to help them vote independently and secretly.

Voters May Receive Assistance at the Polls

Tell the election official if you are a voter who needs help to vote. You do not have to provide proof of your disability. Voters are entitled to receive assistance if they:

• Cannot read or write; or
• Have a physical disability that prevents them from reading or marking the ballot; or
• Cannot speak English, or communicate only with sign language, and want assistance in communicating with election officials.

Voters may be assisted by:

• Any person the voter chooses who is not an election worker;
• Two election workers on Election Day; or
• One election worker during early voting.

Voters MAY NOT be assisted by:

• Their employer;
• An agent of their employer; or
• An officer or agent of their union.

The person assisting the voter must read him or her the entire ballot, unless the voter asks to have only parts of the ballot read. The person assisting the voter must take an oath that he or she will not try to influence the voter’s vote and will mark the ballot as the voter directs. If the voter chooses to be assisted by polling place officials, poll watchers and election inspectors may observe the voting process, but if the voter asks to be assisted by a person the voter chooses, no one else may watch him or her vote.
It is illegal for a person assisting the voter to:

• Try to influence the voter’s vote;
• Mark the voter’s ballot in a way other than the way they have asked; or
• Tell anyone how the voter voted.

Voters May Use Interpreters at the Polls

Voters who cannot speak English, or who communicate only with sign language, may use an interpreter to help them communicate with election officials, regardless of whether the election official(s) attending to the voter can speak the same language as the voter. The voter may select any person other than the voter’s employer, an agent of the voter’s employer, or an officer or agent of a labor union to which the voter belongs. If the voter cannot read the languages on the ballot, the interpreter may also assist by translating the language on the ballot for the voter in the voting booth. (See assistance section above for more details.) If the voter is deaf and does not have a sign language interpreter who can accompany them to help communicate with the poll worker or read the ballot, the voter should contact his or her local election officials before the election and request assistance. NOTE: This is a change in prior law, due to Court Orders issued on August 12 and 30, 2016.

Curbside Voting

If a voter is physically unable to enter the polling place, he or she may ask that an election officer bring a ballot to the entrance of the polling place or to a car at parked at the curbside. After the voter marks the ballot, they will give it to the election officer, who will put it in the ballot box. Or, at the voter’s request, a companion may hand the voter a ballot and deposit it for him or her.

For additional information, contact:

Secretary of State
Elections Division
P.O. Box 12060
Austin, Texas 78711-2060
512.463.5650 or 1.800.252.VOTE (8683)
Fax 512.475.2811, TTY 7.1.1

Brooks County Election Office
Anna M Garcia 

203 S Calixto Mora Ave

P.O. Box 714

Falfurrias, Tx 78355

Disability Rights Texas
Voting Rights Project for Voters with Disabilities
2222 West Braker Lane
Austin, TX 78758
1-888-796-VOTE (8683) (V/TTY)
Fax: 512-323-0902
http://www.disabilityrightstx.org/contact/

Coalition of Texans with Disabilities
316 W. 12th Street, Suite 405
Austin, Texas 78701
Phone: (512) 478-3366
Fax: (512) 478-3370
e-mail: cotwd@cotwd.org

Ballot By Mail / FPCA Information

Absentee Ballot by Mail (ABBM) must be applied for annually. You may call our office at 361-325-5670 ext 369 or 208 to request an application be mailed to you or click here for a fillable and printable application.  

Voto en ausencia por correo (ABBM) debe aplicar anualmente. Usted puede llamar a nuestra oficina al 361-325-5670 ext 369 or 208 para solicitar una aplicacion por correo o haga clic aqui para llenar una aplicacion imprimibe.

Reasons for Voting by Mail:

      *65 years of age or older
      *Disability - voter has a sickness or physical condition that prevents the voter from appearing at the polling place on election day without a likelihood of needing personal assistance or of injuring the voter's health
Expected to give birth within three weeks before or after Election Day
      *Expected absence from the county - must provide out of county address     
*Confinement in jail

Mail application for ballot by mail to:

Anna M Garcia 

Election Administrator 

Brooks County 

P.O. Box 714

Falfurrias, Tx 78355

For Military/Overseas Voters: FPCA Application

TRACK YOUR MAIL BALLOT

Effective December 1, 2017 if an ABBM is faxed or emailed or if an FPCA is faxed, then the applicant must submit the ORIGINAL application BY MAIL to the early voting clerk so that it is received no later than the 4th business day after receiving the original ABBM or FPCA.

Ballot by Mail Guide - English
Ballot by Mail Guide - Spanish