Gov. proclamation limits number of drop-off points for mail ballots

A proclamation issued by Texas Governor Greg Abbott has reduced the number of drop-off points for hand-delivered mail ballots in each county to one.

This change will not affect Gonzales County, as the County Clerk’s Office was already the only in-person drop off point in the county and it does not currently have a poll watcher.

This proclamation also amended the Governor’s previous July 27 proclamation by requiring that in order for Early Voting Clerks to accept mail ballots, they must allow for poll watchers to supervise the delivery of mail ballots and ensure the people submitting them have proper I.D.

A poll watcher is a person who is appointed to observe the conduct of an election on behalf of candidates, a political party or proponents and opponents of a specific ballot measure. Poll watchers must obtain certificates of appointment before showing up to a polling place, and they must be registered voters of the territory or county covered by the election. They cannot be a candidate for public office on the day or days when that election is held, cannot hold a public office, cannot be an employee of an election judge or clerk working at the same polling place nor can they be related to a clerk or election judge of that polling place. Poll watchers also cannot be finally convicted of any offense directly related to an election.