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All but 12 of the state’s 254 counties have websites with election information. But only about two-thirds of them make it relatively easy to find what voters need to know, according to the League of Women Voters of Texas.
“And the county websites are probably the first place people will go,” says Elaine Wyant, president of the League of Women Voters of Texas. “Counties are of vastly different sizes in Texas and have different resources, and it was interesting to see that some of the very small counties did a great job. Not all of the large counties did as great of a job.”
Harris County’s website, harrisvotes.com, covers most of the points raised by the organization — listing the seven accepted forms of voter ID, polling locations, sample ballots and so on. Wyant says this matters in a day when so many people look for answers online.
“Yes, it’s really important information. You know, the state is going to spend a lot of money getting this information out, but the counties really need to have it on their websites, as well,” Wyant says.
Wyant says the League of Women Voters has released its findings to encourage counties to update the websites.
“We’ve heard back from at least one, saying ‘oh, our website is under construction,’ So we know they’re getting it,” she says.
The report includes recommendations on how to improve websites. Residents can also visit the Texas Secretary of State’s website for election instructions.
