I just tried to vote for the first time in Texas. I moved to the state in March and today, November 5th, 2019, marks the first election in which I am eligible to vote.
My nearest polling place is the De Zavala Elementary School at 1419 College Avenue. I visited there today at 7:25 am. The polls supposedly opened at 7 am (according the Tarrant County website). But I was told by the worker there “we’re not ready yet”. I asked when they will be open and was told in “about an hour”. Three people who were sitting in chairs behind me waiting groaned and immediately got up and walked out. One of them thanked me for asking.
Texas doesn’t exactly have the best reputation for voter turnout, and I just found out one reason why.
I returned to the same polling place two hours later. I was the only one there and while one of the three poll workers was on the phone trying to figure out some technical details, she eventually was able to help me use the machine, which was an interesting combination of hi-tech and lo-tech: A paper ballot that you slide into a computer. The actual voting on the 10 state constitutional amendments took me about one minute; I just had to stand there waiting for help for a few minutes because use of the machines requires assistance from a poll worker. It took two tries, but I eventually voted! And voter turnout is so low that I didn’t have to wait.