BEAUMONT, Texas — Curbside voting has been an option in Texas well before the onset of coronavirus.
The secretary of state suggests that voters may want to consider voting curbside if they have symptoms of COVID-19.
Jefferson County Clerk Carolyn Guidry talked to 12News about who should use it and how it works.
What is curbside voting?
"Curbside voting is meant for those who want to vote in person but are unable to get out of the car," Guidry said.
But it's not meant for the masses. It's only available for those who qualify, but cannot physically walk into the polling location.
What do I need to bring with me?
You'll need an accepted form of ID and someone else with you.
Why?
"You can't just drive up and call and say 'I'm out here.' It doesn't work that way. You must have a person with you in order to let that person go in and bring in your identification."
Your wait time could be a little longer when it comes to curbside voting. It takes two poll workers to handle the process. You could be waiting in your car until volunteers are free.
"Then they would bring the voting machine out to you. But they have to do all that programming inside."
Do I need to make arrangements ahead of time?
No. Guidry did offer a tip that could help cut down on your wait time.
"I would suggest if they want to know what locations are not busy at that time they can always call us and we can direct them to a place that is less busy than some of the others."
You also have to be registered to vote in order to cast your ballot. As of September 23, there are only 12 days left to register.
