Vote CentersLegislation Allows Countywide Polling Places

Qualified counties have until April 30 to complete an application with the Office of the Texas Secretary of State (SOS) requesting participation in the Countywide Polling Place Program during the Nov. 4, 2008, general election.
Countywide election precincts allow voters the option of voting at countywide polling places on Election Day instead of their assigned precinct polling locations, said Ann McGeehan, director of elections for the SOS.
Lubbock County was the only county in the state to participate in the original pilot program during the Nov. 7, 2006, general election. The pilot program was authorized by the 79th Legislature’s House Bill 758 and then reauthorized by the 80th Legislature’s House Bill 3105.
“Our society has become a society of convenience,” said Lubbock County Commissioner Patti Jones. “With voter turnout at an all-time low, we need to find a way to get folks back to the polls. With this concept, there is no