Candidates for Texas Governor Stump for Votes and Evaluate Their Debate Performances

Days after the only gubernatorial debate in Edinburg in the Rio Grande Valley, the candidates for Texas governor were on the road trying to get Texans to the polls and evaluating their performance with three weeks until early voting begins.

Democratic candidate for governor Beto O’Rourke is focusing on the younger vote.

He brought his college tour to the University of North Texas in Denton, and Dallas College El Centro Campus. O'Rourke remains about 8 points back in an average of polls from RealClearPolitics. 

BETO O'ROURKE DEBATE ASSESSMENT

We asked O’Rourke what he needs to do to move the needle.

“You saw that during the debate, we remind every Texan that Greg Abbott has been governor for nearly eight years now. So when you see inflation, higher property taxes, a total abortion ban, 19 weeks and counting since Uvalde and nothing has been done to reduce gun violence in our schools, or gun violence as the leading cause of death for our kids, voters are going to realize we need change,” said O’Rourke.

GOV. GREG ABBOTT DEBATE ASSESSMENT

Governor Abbott remained in the Rio Grande Valley Saturday. He knocked on doors and talked with voters. He is looking for his third term, facing his toughest opponent yet.

Governor Abbott says the debate went the way he wanted it to.

“We were able to expose Beto for all the lies and all the flip flops he has been telling throughout the entire campaign. He cannot be straight with voters, he cannot be honest with voters, he keeps changing his positions and it shows that you just cannot count on what he stands for,” said Governor Abbott.

It will be a busy month for both candidates, as they continue to travel the state. Early Voting begins October 24 and runs through November 4.

Deadline Today to Register to Vote in November Election is Oct. 11

The last day to register to vote in the upcoming Nov. 2 election is Tuesday, Oct. 11. If you need to check your registration status or register to vote, details are below.

Check Voter Registration Status/Register to Vote

If you're unsure of your current voter status, you can check your voter registration status on the Texas Secretary of State's website on the "Am I Registered?" page. If you have moved to a new address within the same county or have changed your name, you can update your information online as well.

Unregistered people who wish to vote will need to have completed their registration by Tuesday, Oct. 11. There are a number of ways to register to vote in Texas:

• On the Texas Secretary of State's online voter registration page, you can fill out and then print and sign your registration form. You MUST still mail the form to your county election office and it must be postmarked by the April 1 deadline.
• If you don't have a printer you can request an application be mailed to you, but that returned application must also be postmarked by the April 1 deadline.
• You can also register to vote through your county registrar.

Texas Requires ID to Vote

Once you're registered, you'll still need a valid ID to vote in the state of Texas. The state accepts seven forms of identification:

• A Texas driver's license
• Texas election ID certificate
• Texas ID card
• Texas handgun license
• U.S. Citizenship certificate with a photo
• U.S. Military ID with a photo
• U.S. Passport.

For voters ages 18-69, photo IDs CAN be expired for up to four years. For those over the age of 70, a photo ID can be expired for any length of time.

If you do not have a photo ID, you may qualify for a Reasonable Impediment Declaration by showing a copy or an original of one of the following:

• Certified domestic birth certificate or court-admissible birth document
• Current utility bill
• Bank statement
• Government check
• Paycheck
• Government document with your name and address including your voter registration certificate.

Upcoming Election Info

Early voting for the upcoming November election began Monday, Oct. 24 and runs through Friday, Nov. 4. The last day to apply for a ballot by mail (received, not postmarked) is Wednesday, Oct. 28.

Voters with questions about how to cast a ballot in the upcoming November 2022 general election can call 1-800-252-VOTE or visit VoteTexas.gov for more information.