In honor of National Voter Registration Day on Sept. 17, Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson reminds Texans there is still time to register to vote ahead of the presidential election on Nov. 5.
The deadline to register to vote in Texas is Oct. 7.
“Texans have just a few short weeks left to register to vote, and I want to ensure all eligible Texans who want to make their voices heard are registered and prepared to do so,” Nelson said.
Eligible Texans are encouraged to plan to vote. Directions on registering to vote and updating existing voter registrations can be found at VoteTexas.gov.
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Texas voters must register to vote at least 30 days before an upcoming election date, and they do not have to declare a party affiliation when registering.
Registered voters can check their status on the Secretary of State’s VoteTexas.gov website.
TO BE ELIGIBLE TO VOTE YOU MUST ME
- A United States citizen
- A resident of the county where you register
- At least 18 years old on Election Day
IMPORTANT ELECTION DATES
- Oct. 7: Last day to register to vote
- Oct. 21: Early voting begins
- Oct. 25: Last day to apply for ballot by mail
- Nov. 1: Early voting ends
- Nov. 5: Election Day
For official information, including registration and vote-by-mail deadlines, please visit VoteTexas.gov or call 1-800-252-VOTE.
In Fort Worth, the League of Women Voters of Tarrant County helped students at Tarrant County College at Trinity River campus register to vote.
"It’s a national effort to get students, and young people registered to vote, get everybody excited about the upcoming election in November," said Janet Mattern, president of the League of Women Voters of Tarrant County, regarding national voter registration day.
She said the non-partisan group had volunteers helping people register.
"But it’s always nice if we have an event we can register potential voters in person, then they can go ahead and fill out the forms, and we send them directly to the elections office," said Mattern.
In Texas, eligible voters must fill out a voter registration form and either mail it or take it to their county elections office.
“Democracy requires all voices to be heard," said Mattern.
Some students, like Kodi Barker, will be first-time voters.
"I’ve always wanted to have a voice, and I’ve had opinions, but of course I was underage, and I couldn’t really put it out there much, but now I can. I have the opportunity, and I want to take charge of that," said Barker, who recently turned 18.
"It’s highly important. It’s our right as citizens of the United States, and it’s our duty," said Elisa Valle, 25, who is a student and works at TCC. "I think since I’m part of the Gen Z, we’re excited to vote; we’re excited in a sense to have a say on who the next leader will be.”
