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Travis County volunteers help hundreds register as Texas voter deadline hits

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Travis County volunteers help hundreds register as Texas voter deadline hits


Monday was the voter registration deadline in Texas, where several Travis County groups burned the midnight oil to help people beat the deadline.

Texas is one of the few states left that doesn’t allow online voter registration. From the county tax office on Airport Boulevard to the University of Texas at Austin and several coffee shops in between, Austinites were still able to register to vote until midnight, thanks to volunteers who were committed to working until the very last minute.

Radio, Coffee and Beer, Radio Coffee East, and The Front Page were coffee shops all open until midnight Monday.

For Destiny Osborne, it’s better late than never.

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“To be honest, I wasn’t actually going to vote,” Osborne said. “but my boyfriend and my boyfriend’s mom was telling me to vote, like, hey, you need to vote. It’s important for you. All votes matter. Like, every vote counts.”

The 19-year-old moved to Austin a couple of months ago to be with family and is excited to participate in her first presidential election.

“Now I can say, hey, I voted man, like you should go too,” Osborne said. “You have a word, use your word.”

She’s one of thousands across Travis County who waited until the last day of the state’s voter registration deadline, but county voter registrar Bruce Elfant says that’s exactly who they’re there for.

“We’ve added about 10,000 registered voters in the last month, and we will probably do another 10,000 today,” Elfant said.

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ALSO| Oct. 7 is final day to register to vote, officials recommend registering in person

A tent was set up outside the Airport Boulevard tax office to help people register and check their voting status.

“If you’re able to go to votetravis.gov and look yourself up, that’ll give you peace of mind if your application is there,” Elfant said. “If you’re not able to do that, my motto is, when in doubt, fill it out.”

Elfant says some people might find themselves suspended if they moved and the tax office was unable to find them, but all you have to do is bring the correct credentials on Election Day to vote and be removed from that list.

“When you go vote, they’re going to require one of many forms of ID, certainly your Texas driver’s license if you have that,” Elfant said. “You can vote with your passport… utility bill, a bank statement, or any government document with your current name and address on it.”

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There have been some big changes, including the polling site at the University of Texas at Austin moving from the Flawn Academic Center to the Texas Union right next door due to construction.

“We’re going to be advocating for the polling place in the future to return to Flawn Academic Center. But in the meantime, we’re going to work with the situation we have.” University of Texas at Austin University Democrats President Brian Pena said.

UT’s University Democrats also hosted a voter registration drive until midnight, where Pena says they were helping spread the word. Pena says his organization is even providing shuttles on election day to help with expected wait times.

“I think in combination with a lot of education, like we’re doing right now, and our polling shuttles, I think we’ll have an adequate polling place out of the Union,” Pena said.

And after the registration deadline, that’s where the next fight will be.

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“Texas is a wildly under-voting state, especially our demographic, 18 to 35 young people,” Pena said. “Any election we vote our full strength, we have real impact.”

Now the attention turns to early voting which begins October 21st. A list of polling sites can be found here.



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Austin, TX

Texas Plans Second Execution of the Year

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Texas Plans Second Execution of the Year


Cedric Ricks spoke in his own defense at his 2013 murder trial, something most defendants accused of a terrible crime do not do. Ricks confessed that he had killed his girlfriend, Roxann Sanchez, and her 8-year-old son. He admitted he was aggressive and had trouble controlling his anger, stating that he was “sorry about everything.” […]



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Austin, TX

Will the rest of Austin allergies seasons be as bad as cedar this year?

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Will the rest of Austin allergies seasons be as bad as cedar this year?


Austin had a particularly itchy and drippy cedar fever season to start the year. Many winter days, from late December into February, had high or very high ashe juniper (aka cedar) pollen counts. 

Central Texas has a year-round allergy season with mold popping up at any time. For the more traditional spring and fall allergy seasons, forecasters at AccuWeather are predicting some of the allergens across the country will be worse this year than average. 

Texas, though, is a different story.

For grass allergies, which happen now through September, AccuWeather estimates Austin will have an average season. However, just west of the Interstate 35 corridor in the Hill Country to almost El Paso, that season is expected to be worse than normal. 

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“Texas may experience above-average grass pollen for a few weeks,” AccuWeather’s allergy report said, “though the season could be shorter-lived compared to northern areas.” 

It all depends on the weather

How much rain we get in the next six months and the perennial Texas heat will all affect the growing season for grasses and weeds, as well as the amount of pollen trees produce. The Farmers’ Almanac and the Old Farmers Almanac are both predicting a wetter and warmer spring.

Rain helps plants grow, which can increase pollen production over time. However, rainfall during allergy season can also bring temporary relief by washing pollen out of the air. That’s what we’re expecting this weekend, with our first meaningful rain chance in nearly three weeks. Tree and weed pollen levels might briefly drop, but mold could spike because it thrives in damp, humid weather. 

If spring continues with excessive heat like we saw in February, it could limit the growth of some plants and trees. Extreme heat can reduce how much they grow, and how much pollen they produce. On the other hand, if we get a healthy balance of rain and only slightly above-normal temperatures — not extreme heat — pollen counts could climb. That’s especially true as we head into April, typically our windiest month of the year, which helps spread pollen more easily.

How can you treat allergies in Austin?

If you are feeling the effects of allergies, here are some things you can do to lessen them: 

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  • Start taking allergy medication at least two weeks before your allergen’s season is supposed to start. Keep taking your allergy medication throughout your allergen’s season, even on low-pollen days.
  • Vary your allergy medication. You can take a nasal spray, an eye drop and an oral antihistamine at the same time to treat the different symptoms. If one kind of allergy medication isn’t working, consult your doctor about whether you should add a second one or switch out the medication. 
  • Take a shower before going to bed.
  • Take off outside clothes or shoes when you get into the house.
  • Do a daily nasal wash such as a neti pot or saline spray.
  • Consider seeing an allergist to get drops or shots to lessen your reaction to the allergen. 

Consider these household tips to improve your chances of keeping allergens away:

  • Change the filters in your house regularly during cedar fever season.
  • Vacuum and sweep regularly. 
  • Change your sheets, especially your pillow regularly. 
  • Keep doors and windows closed.
  • Clean out the vents in your home.
  • Have your home tested for indoor allergens such as mold.
  • Wash and brush the animals in your house to lessen the amount of allergens in the air. 
  • Wear a mask outside or inside while you are trying to lessen the pollen or mold indoors.



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Austin, TX

Texas Primary: Breakdown of Texas races

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Texas Primary: Breakdown of Texas races


Democrats tried to stop a mid-decade redistricting effort, but were unsuccessful. Now, we are starting to see some of the candidates emerging in those newly drawn districts. FOX 7 Austin’s Rudy Koski gives a full breakdown.



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