Mail ballots could break record

Travis County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir announced Monday that her office is on track to break the record of 31,000 ballots mailed in during the 2016 presidential election. According to a news release from her office, the elections division has already received more than 28,000 applications from people wanting to vote by mail. Under normal circumstances, she said, the office would have received 1,000-2,000 such ballot requests. DeBeauvoir has responded to the extraordinary level of requests by adding temporary staff and additional screening equipment. As of Friday, June 19, she said, “17,247 (ballot by mail) ballots have been mailed to voters, including to over 65, disability and out-of-county voters. We plan to continue at this pace until all current requests are processed.” The deadline for requesting ballots is July 2, which means the clerk’s office must receive those requests by that date in order to qualify for the July 14 election. The elections division is still looking for additional workers. To apply, fill out an online form or email erecruiting@traviscountytx.gov.