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Volunteer Deputy Registrar

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

737
*As of 11/12/19 - # updated weekly

 
Become a WilCo VDR

Next training class:
Tuesday, November 19 @ 2pm.
Email [email protected] to reserve your place in class.

 
Volunteer Deputy Registrar

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.

Training classes are offered the first, second and third Tuesday of each month at 2:00pm and the first Tuesday of the month at 6:00pm.  No classes will be offered during Early Voting or on Election Day.

All classes are conducted at our offices in Georgetown located at 301 SE Inner Loop, Ste. 104 in Georgetown.

Class size is limited so you must contact the training team either by email [email protected] or phone (512-943-1630) to reserve a seat no later than 12:00 pm on the day you wish to attend training. Classes are approximately 30 minutes. Due to the length of training, anyone arriving more than five minutes late may be asked to reschedule.

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

Is it possible to become a statewide Volunteer Deputy Voter 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.

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 Voter Registrar can I accept applications for voters living in other counties?

No. Volunteer deputy voter 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.

I am a candidate. Am I eligible to become a Volunteer Deputy Voter 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 there a minimum age to become a Volunteer Deputy Voter 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 Voter Registrar can I appoint others to be Volunteer Deputy Voter 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.