Less than a month left to register to vote in Nov. 5 presidential election

There's less than a month until the last day to register to vote in the 2024 presidential election. If you have not yet registered to vote in the Nov. 5 election, Monday, Oct. 7, is the last day to apply.

CHECK YOUR VOTER REGISTRATION STATUS

Unsure of your current registration status? Voter status can be verified online at votetexas.gov. Voter registration records can be searched by voter ID and date of birth, driver's license number and date of birth, or name, county, and date of birth.

HOW TO REGISTER TO VOTE IN TEXAS

To register to vote, a voter registration application must be completed and returned to a voter's county election office at least 30 days before an election.

• Complete an application using the Secretary of State's online voter registration application. Fill in the required information, print, sign and mail the completed application directly to the voter's county election office.
• Request a printed application. The Secretary of State's office will mail a postage-paid voter registration application to the address provided.
• Contact or visit the voter's local voter registrar to complete the voter registration process.

Voter registrations can also be done when renewing, replacing, or changing Texas identification cards or driver's licenses through the Texas DPS.

MY VOTER RECORD IS ON 'SUSPENSE,' WHAT DO I DO?

If a voter registration record is listed as ‘suspense,’ the Texas Secretary of State's Office says it means the county where the voter was registered was notified the voter's address no longer matched the address on their voter registration record. The Secretary of State's Office said the voter registration record can be updated online here.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO REGISTER TO VOTE IN TEXAS?

In Texas, you can register to vote if you are a United States citizen, a county resident where the application is submitted, at least 17 years and 10 months old when the voter registration application is submitted and at least 18 years old on Election Day. You are not a convicted felon (you may be eligible to vote if you have completed your sentence, probation, and parole). You have not been declared by a court exercising probate jurisdiction to be either totally mentally incapacitated or partially mentally incapacitated without the right to vote.

MAKE A PLAN TO VOTE

Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson released the following video encouraging Texans to prepare for the Nov. 5 election and make a plan to vote.

“My goal is to make sure every qualified Texan who wants to vote has all the information they need to cast a ballot,” Secretary Nelson says in the ad. “I encourage Texans to visit VoteTexas.gov, the state’s official online resource.” 

KEY DATES FOR THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

• The last day to register to vote is Monday, Oct. 7
• Early voting begins Oct. 21.
• The last day to apply for a ballot by mail is Friday, Oct. 25 (received, not postmarked).
• Early voting ends on Friday, Nov. 1.
• Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5. Polls will be open on Election Day from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Anyone in line at 7 p.m. on Election Day will be allowed to vote.
• If the ballot has not been postmarked, it must be received by Tuesday, Nov. 5, at 7 p.m., or it can be received on Wednesday, Nov. 6, as long as it was postmarked by 7 p.m. on Election Day at the election location.