An all-ages block party and hands-on voting practice event featuring a pet election, with food, games and activities.
Paws to the Polls lands at ACC Highland on Tuesday, September 22, from 11 AM to 1 PM. It's an all-ages block party put on by the League of Women Voters of the Austin Area and the Travis County Clerk's Office, and the main draw is the Great Austin Pet Election. This time around, it's a two-way race for Pet Mayor of Austin between Gus the Cat and Franklin the Dog. You cast your vote on actual voting machines, so it's a low-stakes way to get a feel for how the real thing works.
Beyond the pet election, there's a practical side to the morning: you can register to vote on the spot if you aren't already signed up. The whole thing is designed as hands-on voting practice, and the pet race is the hook to get people thinking about the November election. The League ties it back to their nonpartisan Voters Guide and VOTE411, the online resource they use to help voters get their bearings before they head to the polls for real.
It's not just a voting station, though. Popcorn, Kona Ice snow cones, games, and kids' activities fill the afternoon, so it works as a family outing as much as a civic exercise. The pet election is the center of it, but the registration and the voting machines are the parts that actually stick.
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This isn't a one-off event, either. The League of Women Voters of the Austin Area takes the party to different neighborhoods across Austin and Travis County throughout the summer, so if you can't make this one, there are others. This stop is at ACC Highland, 6001 Airport Boulevard, Austin, TX 78752, on Tuesday, September 22, from 11 AM to 1 PM.
