A friend at a nursing home has requested that I get her an application for

[Czolgosz]

runoff ballot by mail. I'm happy to do this.

Does anyone know if it is appropriate to deliver several blank applications to the nursing home? Further, does anyone know if it is appropriate to leave campaign literature alongside the applications? I'm not proposing to do anything more than deliver applications and campaign literature with no further contact with anyone at the nursing home. Has anyone looked into this issue?

[acmejack]

1. Sonia is a deputized voter registrar so she will!

I know there are others as well here in Austin (probably all of them but me, an oversight I will correct at the first opportunity)

[merci_me]

2. Republicans do it all the time

I don't know about the lit, but they do the applications.

It might be a wash to do that at a nursing home though, unless you are really able to "campaign" there. I'd almost be afraid that the name "Gene Kelly" might not pull at least as many votes as BAR. I would probably be better to try to do a little "polling" and then when you come across BAR's supporters, make them the same offer as your friend and get an appilcation to them.

[sonias]

3. Czolgosz, you can take as many as you want to the home

It's a perfectly legal thing to go. You do however have to work with the management staff of the homes. They usually will not let you leave campaign material, but you never know until you ask. What would be helpful too is to give them (the voters), an instruction sheet on how to fill out the ballot. Not how to vote, but general things like when it's due and were to mail it etc.

http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/pamphlets/faqs.shtml
SOS website FAQs
Q: Can anybody vote early by mail (also referred to as absentee voting)?
A: Only specific reasons entitle a person to vote early by mail (no longer called absentee voting). You may request a ballot by mail if you:

1. will be away from your county on Election Day and during the hours of early voting;
2. are sick or disabled;
3. are 65 years of age or older on Election Day; or
4. are confined in jail.

Q: I fall under one of the 4 reasons above. What do I do now? Are there deadlines connected with this procedure?
A: First, request an Application for Ballot by Mail (ABBM) from the Early Voting Clerk in the county where you are registered, or from our office. Once received, read the instructions carefully, complete the ABBM form and return to the Early Voting Clerk in your county. The dates applicable to the March 7, 2006 Primary election are as follows: the first day you may submit an ABBM for the general primary or for both the primary and the primary runoff is January 6, 2006; the last day (or deadline) to submit an ABBM is February 28, 2006---this is NOT A POSTMARK DATE---the ABBM must be RECEIVED IN THE OFFICE OF THE EARLY VOTING CLERK by February 28, 2006 in order for you to receive a ballot by mail.

* For address/phone number of Early Voting Clerk: http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/voter/county.shtml
* To learn more about the ABBM process and to request an ABBM from our office (or print one directly from the web): http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/voter/earlyvoting.shtml

Voting pamphlet from SOS on special needs voting including mail-in ballots. It's very general, not very in depth.
http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/forms/brochures/services.pdf

Good luck, and thank you for doing this for your friend. Also one more recommendation use a US Flag stamp on the mail-in ballot. Reasons on the vote fraud training thread.

Sonia

[Czolgosz]

4. Thanks to everyone for the information!