Today is the last day for Texans to register to vote in time to vote in the Nov. 5 elections. To be eligible to vote in Texas, you must be a U.S. citizen, a resident of Texas and at least 18 years old as of Election Day (Nov. 5).
Individuals cannot register to vote if they have been finally convicted of a felony and are still serving a sentence, including parole or probation, or if they have been deemed mentally incapacitated by a court.
Not sure of your voter registration status? Check online here at the Texas Secretary of State’s Voter Portal website. You can also find your poll location and early voting locations here.
If you are not registered, then you need to fill out the registration form and turn it in to the voter registrar office in your county of residence by 5 p.m. today. Or if you choose to mail your registration, make sure it is postmarked by today.
Voter registration forms are available at the Texas Secretary of State website, BUT MUST BE SUBMITTED IN PERSON AT OR BY MAIL TO THE COUNTY VOTER REGISTRAR OFFICE.
Texas voters cannot register to vote online.
If you were already registered, but your name or address has changed since the last election, you will need to make sure your registration has been updated with your new name/address.
Early voting by personal appearance begins Monday, Oct. 21, and runs through Friday, Nov. 1.
Friday, Oct. 25, is the last day to apply for a mail-in ballot. The last day mail-in ballots will be accepted is Tuesday, Nov. 5, (Election Day) at 7 p.m. if carrier envelope is not postmarked, OR Wednesday, Nov. 6 (the next business day after Election Day) at 5 p.m. if carrier envelope is postmarked by 7 p.m. at the location of the election on Election Day.
If you have any questions, contact the voter registrar office in your county of residence or visit the Texas Secretary of State voter registration website.
And as you prepare to vote, whether in person or by mail, make sure to fully educate yourself on each candidate on the ballot. One way to do that is find unbiased, non-partisan organizations for information, such as the League of Women Voters at VOTE411.org.LWV’s website lets individuals enter their address to see the national and statewide races and candidates on their ballots, compare candidate responses to unbiased questions posed by the League, and create a print-out of their choices to take to the polls.
Other organizations focused on elections in general or on specific issues or races are also available. Just make sure your information source is reliable, accurate and unbiased so that you can get the most complete o