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Feds Will Be Watching Polls

POSTED: Monday, November 3, 2008
UPDATED: 4:45 pm CST November 3, 2008

To make sure Election Day goes smoothly, the U.S. Department of Justice will have some federal poll watchers in the Houston area, KPRC Local 2 reported Monday.


Video: Federal Poll Watchers Coming To Houston: Phil Archer Reports

Harris County will have 728 polling places on Tuesday. John Martin's garage is probably the smallest.

Amid the Budweiser collectables and garden tools are seven electronic voting machines for voters.

Martin's garage has been a polling place for 16 years. This year, someone will be watching at his Harris County precinct No. 336.

"I'm expecting the poll watchers and the secretary of state to be here. Every presidential election we have, they come out," said Martin.

Enforcing voting laws is primarily left up to state officials.

But federal monitors will be out in force on Tuesday as well as in Fort Bend and Galveston counties, where there have been complaints in the past about bilingual requirements, and in Waller County following a recent court settlement ensuring voting rights for Prairie View A&M students.

The Department of Justice is also assigning one of its attorneys to field complaints.

Ruben Perez will be policing 43 counties in south Texas, including Harris County.

"In the event we have evidence of manipulation of voting process, voter fraud, voter intimidation, we would then come in and see if, in fact, the voting process has been jeopardized," he said.

Complaints should be phoned into 713-567-9000.

"I strongly urge voters to know their voter registration status, know their precinct and know where their precinct is voting before heading to the polls," said Harris County Clerk Beverly Kaufman. "By law voters must vote at the poll where their precinct is voting on Election Day."

For those who need to cast a ballot on Election Day, the Harris County clerk reminded voters to present one of the following documents to vote.

  • Voter registration card
  • Driver's license
  • Picture ID of any kind
  • Birth certificate
  • U.S. passport
  • U.S. citizenship or naturalization certificate
  • Copy of current utility bill
  • Bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows the name and address of the voter

Kaufman said that nearly 40 percent of all the registered voters in Harris County cast ballots during the early voting period. So, only registered voters who have not voted in this election are eligible to vote on Tuesday.

The polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.

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