GO
 
en-USes-MX

Volunteer Deputy Registrar

  Departments   >   Elections   >   Voter Registration   >   Volunteer Deputy Registrar
Active VDRs in WilCo

02
*As of 1/12/2021 - # updated weekly

 
What is a VDR?

Volunteer Deputy Registrars help register eligible citizens to vote by distributing, reviewing, and accepting completed voter registration applications. A VDR must be trained and appointed by our office to accept Voter Registration Applications. All VDR appointments expire on December 31st of even-numbered years.



 
Volunteer Deputy Registrar

New procedure to appoint Volunteer Deputy Registrars in Williamson County: This procedure allows a person wanting to be appointed as a VDR in Williamson County to review training materials (PDF) and examination (PDF) questions on our website. After reviewing the training materials and examination questions, an appointment to take the examination at our office must be made by emailing [email protected].  Appointments will be offered on Tuesday during regular business hours (8am-5pm).  Examinations are conducted at our offices located at 301 SE Inner Loop, Ste. 104 in Georgetown. No exams will be administered during the Early Voting period or on Election Day.

Upon satisfactory completion of the examination, we will appoint the person as a volunteer deputy registrar and advise of any county-specific procedures for completing the duties of a volunteer deputy registrar. 

Once you have completed your formal training, you will be issued a Certificate of Appointment and given a registration packet with instructions and supplies.

Important Note:  You may not accept registration applications until you have received the registration packet and the Certificate of Appointment from our office.

Qualifications to become a Volunteer Deputy Registrar:

To be appointed, an individual must be:

  • At least 18 years old
  • A United States Citizen
  • A Texas resident

An individual must not have been:

  • Determined by a final judgment of the court to be totally mentally incapacitated or partially incapacitated without the right to vote
  • Finally convicted of a felony, or, if convicted, must have (1) fully discharged the sentence, including any term of incarceration, parole or supervision, or (2) been pardoned or otherwise released from the resulting disability to vote
  • Finally convicted of identity theft under Section 32.51 of the Penal Code
  • Convicted of failing to deliver a voter registration application to a voter registrar

The complete Texas Volunteer Deputy Registrar Guide can be viewed here.

 
Frequently Asked Questions

I am currently a Volunteer Deputy Registrar in another county, how can I use reciprocity to become a Williamson County Volunteer Deputy Registrar?

Once you have received your certificate of appointment from another Texas county, come by our office during normal business hours.  We will review that county’s certificate and have you complete a Williamson County’s certificate of appointment. Our office is located at 301 SE Inner Loop Georgetown Tx 78626.  Our hours are Monday through Friday 8am to 5pm.

Can I hand out voter registration applications without being deputized?

Yes. Anyone can hand out blank application forms to voters for the voters to fill out and mail in themselves. If this is all you want to do, you do not have to be a volunteer deputy registrar. Also, if you are already a deputy registrar in one county, you can hand out blank forms in other counties where you are not a deputy. It is the voter’s handing the application back to you to review and to deliver to the registrar that triggers the requirement to be an authorized deputy registrar.

As a Williamson County Volunteer Deputy Registrar can I accept applications for voters living in other counties?

No. Volunteer deputy registrar status is conferred on a county-by-county basis. To accept applications for Y or Z counties, you would have to become a volunteer deputy registrar for those counties. You could certainly give applications to the attendees from County Y and County Z and direct them to mail the application to the appropriate county voter registrar’s office. Under Section 13.044 of the Texas Election Code, a person commits a Class C misdemeanor by acting as a deputy registrar when he or she does not have an effective appointment as a deputy registrar.

What if someone submits an application but is already registered to vote?

You may wish to advise the person that the new application form will be treated as an update if the old registration is in the same county and the voter is providing new information. If the person moved to a new county, he or she will need to register in the new county.

May I photocopy the applications that I accept?

No. Section 13.004(c-1) of the Texas Election Code requires the county voter registrar to ensure that certain information, such as the telephone number, on a registration application is redacted from photocopies of voter registration applications from her office. In our opinion, this means that a photocopy of an application must come directly from the county voter registrar’s office, so that she may ensure the required information has been blacked out or otherwise obscured. With that said, we believe that a volunteer deputy registrar may photocopy the receipt. You may also copy the relevant information from the application in writing just as you would be able to do if you went to the registrar’s office and pulled a copy of the original application.

Can I designate someone to return voter registrations applications in my place?

No. There are two methods for a volunteer deputy registrar to submit applications to the county voter registrar. First, the applications may be submitted by personal delivery by the deputy registrar. Second, the deputy registrar may give his or her applications to another volunteer deputy registrar for personal delivery to the county voter registrar.

Is there a minimum age to become a Volunteer Deputy Registrar?

Yes. A person must be at least 18 years of age to become a volunteer deputy registrar.

What happens if I fail to deliver completed applications on time?

Submit them to the county voter registrar as soon as possible. Under the law, the voter’s registration is not impacted by your late delivery to the registrar. However, you should deliver them as soon as possible. Further delay will create problems in getting the lists ready in time for early voting and election day. The registration process cannot be completed until you deliver the application. The registration is still effective and the voter still receives the effective date of submission to you.

As a Volunteer Deputy Registrar can I appoint others to be Volunteer Deputy Registrars?

No. Each volunteer deputy registrar must be appointed directly by the county voter registrar or that registrar’s deputy in the voter registrar’s office.

I am a candidate. Am I eligible to become a Volunteer Deputy Registrar?

Yes. There is no prohibition against a candidate or a campaign worker serving as a deputy registrar, as long as they have been officially appointed as a volunteer deputy registrar. Similarly, there is no prohibition against a deputy registrar registering voters at a campaign rally or event. While working a rally or public event, we believe a volunteer deputy registrar should offer registration to anyone who requests it.

Is it possible to become a statewide Volunteer Deputy Registrar?

No. Volunteer deputy registrar appointments are made on a county-by-county basis. Section 13.032 of the Code provides that a county may not refuse to appoint a resident of the county as a deputy registrar. A voter registrar may not refuse to appoint a volunteer deputy registrar on the basis of sex, race, color, creed, or national origin or ancestry.