NEWS Releasecontact: Hector De Leon

Beverly B. KaufmanCountyClerk

NEWS RELEASEContact: Hector de Leon

October 19, 2008 713.755.6738 - 713.539.0114

12 DAYS OF EARLY VOTING IN-PERSON BEGIN MONDAY, OCT. 20th:

County Clerk addresses elections related Internet spam

Houston, TX- Harris County Clerk Beverly Kaufman urges voters to exercise patience, understanding and common sense as they head to the polls during the early voting period. The Clerk’s appeal comes in light of recent Internet spam which has misconstrued election related matters.

“Great excitement has been generated by this historic election and it is important to clarify certain election related issues that may have been muddied by misleading and false rumors,” said Kaufman, the chief elections officer of the County. “A voter’s electoral experience should not be marred by misinformation”. The following information provides voters accurate information about three topics which have been the subject of rumor mongers on the Internet:

•Texas Election Code Sections 61.010 and 61.003 stipulate that a person may not wear campaign clothing, hats, pins, buttons, etc. inside a polling place or within 100 feet of an outside door through which a voter may enter the building in which a polling place is located. It is considered “electioneering” and violates laws which been in the Texas Election Code for over 20 years. Persons wearing campaign paraphernalia are generally asked to remove or cover their campaign materials or to turn their shirt inside-out before entering the poll.

•Texas Election Code Section 61.013 stipulates that a person may not use a wireless communication device within 100 feet of a voting station. Furthermore, a person may not use any mechanical or electronic means of recording I mages or sound within 100 feet of a voting station. Non-compliance is a violation of the Texas election law.

•If a voter chooses the ‘straight-party’ voting option the eSlate electronic voting system automatically marks all the candidates associated with the party, including the party’s Presidential candidate. Voters who choose the ‘straight party’ voting options do not have to do anything else except review their choices on the ‘Ballot Summary Pages,’ and if satisfied with their selections press ‘Cast Ballot.’ The County Clerk strongly encourages voters to read the instructions pertaining to the operation of the voting equipment which appear on the ballot before beginning the voting process.

The Clerk reminded voters that there will be 36 voting locations open from Oct. 20 to 31in Harris County where County voters may cast their votes. This year voters can help expedite the check-in process at the poll if they choose to use their driver's license or Texas ID to identify themselves during the early voting period. However, voters should be aware that in Texas a voter may use other credentials for voting purposes, including: a voter registration card; a form of identification containing the person's photograph that establishes the person's identity; a birth certificate or other document confirming birth that is admissible in a court of law and establishes the person's identity; United States citizenship papers; a United States passport; official mail addressed to the person by name from a governmental entity; a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows the name and address of the voter; or any other form of identification prescribed by the Secretary of State (Texas Election Code Section 63.0101).

For more election information, voters may visit or call 713.755.6965.

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MEDIA ADVISORY

WHO:Beverly Kaufman, Harris County Clerk, chief election official of the County

WHAT: The County Clerk will provide early voting briefings during the early voting period. The goal of the briefings is to provide information to the public about new early voting sites, relocated sites and to guide voters to the least utilized sites.

WHEN: The early voting briefings will occur on a regular basis starting Monday, Oct. 20th

WHERE:-Monday, October 20th, Northeast Multi Service Center, 9720 Spaulding, 10:00 a.m.

-Monday, October 20th, Lone Star College Willowchase Campus, 9449 Grant Rd, 2:00 p.m.

-Wednesday, October 22nd, Ripley House, 4410 Navigation, 10:00 a.m.

-Thursday, October 23rd, Trini Mendenhall Sosa Community Center, 1414 Wirt Road, 10:00 a.m.

-Friday, October 24, Humble ISD Instructional Support Center, 4810 Magnolia Cove, 10:00 a.m.

-Saturday, October 25, the Power Center, 12401 South Post oak Rd, 10:00 a.m.

201 Caroline, 4th Floor ∙ P.O. Box 1525 ∙ Houston, TX 77251-1525 ∙ 713.755.6411