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Voters line as much as solid ballots at a polling location.
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Monday, Oct. 7, is the deadline in Texas to register to vote to have the ability to take part within the 2024 normal election, the place voters will solid their ballots on all the pieces from the presidential race between Vice President Kamala Harris and Former President Donald Trump to members of Congress, the Texas Legislature and different state and native elected places of work.
Texas is certainly one of a handful of states with a voter registration deadline 30 days earlier than the election. Right here’s what you must learn about checking your standing and registering to vote earlier than the tip of the day on Monday.
How do I test if I am registered to vote?
You’ll be able to test to see for those who’re registered and confirm your info on the Texas secretary of state’s web site.
You’ll want one of many following three combos to log in:
Your Texas driver’s license quantity and date of start.
Your first and final names, date of start and county you reside in.
Your date of start and Voter Distinctive Identifier quantity, which seems in your voter registration certificates.
Who can register to vote in Texas?
U.S. residents in Texas can register to vote within the election if they’re 18 or older or if they are going to be 18 by Election Day, which is Nov. 5.
Residents within the state can not register to vote if they’ve been lastly convicted of a felony and are nonetheless serving a sentence, together with parole or probation, or if they’ve been deemed mentally incapacitated by a courtroom. Listed below are extra specifics on eligibility.
Texas elections legislation says state jail inmates who’re interesting their convictions are eligible to register, however the Secretary of State’s workplace recommends first consulting a lawyer as a result of when a remaining conviction occurs could differ from case to case, based on KUT Information. Learn extra right here.
How do I register to vote?
There are a number of choices to submit a last-minute utility by the deadline:
Go to the voter registrar workplace in your county (discover yours right here)
Register by a volunteer deputy voter registrar (organizations like native chapters of the League of Girls Voters usually maintain voter registration occasions)
Mail the applying to the voter registrar in your county
If you happen to determine to mail an utility, it have to be postmarked by the Oct. 7 deadline so that you can vote within the Nov. 5 election. You’ll be able to request the postmark by workers at your native submit workplace. Functions left in mailboxes or mail drop off bins could not all the time be postmarked that very same day.
You’ll find an utility at county voter registrars’ places of work and a few submit places of work, authorities places of work, or excessive faculties. You may also print out the web utility and mail it to the voter registrar in your county. It will require an envelope and postage like common mail. Obtain your utility right here.
In case your utility is postmarked by Oct. 7 it’ll rely towards the Nov. 5 deadline, even whether it is obtained afterwards. To keep away from any points, some native voter registrars suggest finishing or delivering an utility in particular person for those who’re registering near the deadline.
What if I’ve moved?
You should reside in a Texas county by the voter registration deadline to vote within the upcoming election until you qualify for absentee voting. You’ll be able to learn extra about absentee and mail-in voting right here.
Faculty college students who’re registered at a residence in Texas, reminiscent of a mum or dad’s house, however are learning out of state can apply for absentee ballots. The deadline for a county to obtain requests for absentee ballots is Oct. 25. Learn extra about mail-in voting right here. College students learning in Texas who’re from different states may select to register to vote within the state with their dorm or Texas handle. Learn extra about pupil voting right here.
Eligible individuals experiencing homelessness can vote, so long as they supply on their registration an handle and outline for the place they’re residing. If wanted, their mailing handle could be completely different, however a P.O. field handle can’t be listed as a residence handle.
Monday can be the final day to submit an handle change for the midterm elections. You’ll be able to report an handle or title change on-line. You need to do that for those who’ve moved for the reason that final time you voted, particularly you probably have moved to a distinct county or political subdivision or have legally taken a distinct title.
What do I do if I run into points with my voter registration?
If a county suspects you’ve got modified handle however your registration has not been up to date, it’s possible you’ll be be positioned on a “suspense record.” Voters positioned on the suspense record can nonetheless vote in the event that they replace or verify their handle earlier than the voter registration deadline for an election or fill out a “assertion of residence” when voting, however they might need to vote at their earlier polling location or vote on a restricted poll.
Restricted ballots can be found solely throughout early voting at a “principal early voting polling place,” which is often the workplace of the elections administrator or county clerk who runs elections in your county. The principle early voting polling place must be famous in a county’s record of early voting places.
Whereas the state conducts opinions of voter rolls to take away what officers suspect may be ineligible registrations, federal legislation prevents the state from eradicating registered voters inside 90 days of a federal election until the voter has died, been convicted of a felony or been declared mentally incapacitated.
You probably have questions or issues about your registration, yow will discover your county’s voter registration contact right here.
Inside polling places, there are sometimes “decision desks” the place ballot staff can handle registration points.
You may also discover extra info on often requested questions from the secretary of state’s workplace at votetexas.gov.
The Texas Tribune answering reader questions on 2024 elections. To share your query or suggestions with us, you may fill out this type.
This text initially appeared within the Texas Tribune.
The Texas Tribune is a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and fascinating Texans on state politics and coverage. Study extra at texastribune.org.
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