5 things to know ahead of the May 6 elections. Tuesday is the last day of early voting

Dalia Faheid
·5 min read
1

Texas voters have only a few more days to vote early in the May 6 election.

Tuesday, May 2 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. is the last day for early voting, before the municipal elections Saturday, May 6, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Here’s what you need to know.

1. Know what to bring

Make sure you’re registered to vote through the Secretary of State’s website.

You should bring one of these seven forms of ID to the polling location:

  • Texas driver’s license issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)

  • Texas Election Identification Certificate issued by DPS

  • Texas Personal Identification Card issued by DPS

  • Texas Handgun License issued by DPS

  • United States Military Identification Card containing your photograph

  • United States Citizenship Certificate containing your photograph

  • United States Passport (book or card)

2. Catch a free ride

Several North Texas transportation agencies are offering Election Day and early voting rides. Here’s how to get a free ride in Dallas-Fort Worth for early voting or Election Day.

Tarrant County

Are you a Tarrant County voter? You’re eligible for a free Trinity Metro ride to a voting location for early voting or on Election Day. The county’s Election Transportation Program, a partnership between the Tarrant County Commissioners Court and Tarrant County transportation services, has been offered to voters since November 2019.

Tarrant County voters will be able to ride to the polls at no charge on Trinity Metro’s bus routes, ZIPZONE on-demand rideshare services or ACCESS paratransit. To ride, show your voter registration card or ID and ride for free during early voting through May 2 and on Election Day, May 6.

To use Trinity Metro ZIPZONE, download the ZIPZONE app and book your ride. ZIPZONE rides will be free for customers who schedule a ride to or from a voting center within the ZIPZONE boundaries.

To ask about ZIPZONE, bus or ACCESS rides to your polling place, call Trinity Metro at 817-215-8600. For ACCESS, call the provider at least 48 hours ahead of the trip to schedule your free ride to any of the voting locations.

Other North Texas counties

Need a ride to vote on Election Day? DART is providing free transportation to polling locations on Election Day, Saturday, May 6.

Ride at no charge on all DART buses, trains, the Dallas Streetcar, GoLink, Paratransit Services and the TRE between EBJ Union Station and CentrePort/DFW Airport Station.

A valid voter registration card is required to ride for free. GoLink riders can use promo code VOTE23 at checkout for a complimentary Adult Local Day Pass in the GoPass app on May 6. Learn more at dart.org/vote.

Riders who need customized trip planning can map out their ride with the “Plan” tool in the free GoPass app, or use the Trip Planner on DART.org. DART Customer Service can also assist at 214-979-1111. If you plan your trip directly in Google Maps, enter the voting location as your destination and choose the Transit option (train icon) to get travel directions using DART.

3. Find a voting location

Voting locations are open 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. on the day of the local elections. If you are in line by 7 p.m., you will be allowed to vote. Check your county elections website for specific times.

4. Find a route

If you live in Tarrant County, this is what bus route you should take for each early voting location.

  • Tarrant County College Southeast Campus, 2100 S.E. Parkway — RT 067

  • Crouch Event Center in Bicentennial Park, 900 E. Glendale St. — South Tarrant ZIPZONE

  • Como Community Center, 4660 Horne St. — RT 051 Horne & Helmick

  • Diamond Hill-Jarvis Branch Library, 1300 N.E. 35th St. — RT 012 Long & Lulu

  • Griffin-Poly Sub-Courthouse, 3212 Miller Ave. — RT 024 or RT 025 Miller & Berry

  • Handley-Meadowbrook Community Center, 6201 Beaty St. — RT 89 Lancaster & Haynie

  • James Avenue Service Center, 5001 James Ave. — RT 033 James & Yates

  • Southside Community Center, 959 E. Rosedale St. — RT 004 Rosedale & New York

  • Southwest Sub-Courthouse, 6551 Granbury Road — RT 051 Granbury & Dan Dancinger

  • Summerglen Branch Library, 4205 Basswood Blvd. — RT 016 N Beach & Basswood

  • Tarrant County College Northwest Campus, 4801 Marine Creek Parkway — RT 45

  • Tarrant County Elections Center, 2700 Premier St. — RT 054 Sylvania & Ivey, 11 minute walk

  • Tarrant County Plaza Building, 201 Burnett St. — RT 046 Belknap & Burnett

  • Worth Heights Community Center, 3551 New York Ave. — RT 024 Berry & Evans, 14 minute walk

5. What to know about early voting and Election Day

Early voting runs through Tuesday, May 2, and Election Day is Saturday, May 6, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. There are 49 early voting locations in Tarrant County. Hours are April 28 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., April 29 7 a.m. – 7 p.m., April 30 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., and May 1 to 2 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. As of Friday morning, a total of 24,892 early votes have been cast so far in Tarrant County, the most being on Thursday and the least on Wednesday.

For more information, call the Tarrant County Elections Administration at 817‐831‐8683. Click here for a list of Election Day polling locations. To see your sample ballot, fill your information into the Tarrant County Voter Lookup. View the wait times at each early voting location in Tarrant County, and Election Day location wait times.

To track the status of your mail-in ballot, use the Secretary of State’s Ballot by Mail Tracker app, available through txballot.org. Enter your voter information into the fields provided, including your name, the last four digits of your social security, your driver’s license number and your address. Another way to track your ballot in Tarrant County is through the Voter Lookup. Once you plug in your information, it’ll tell you whether your ballot has been received and approved.