The deadline to register to vote in Texas for the Nov. 3 election is Oct. 5. Early voting will start Oct. 19.
In Texas, voters cannot register for the first time online, but you can complete and print out an application using the online voter registration application system. That application then needs to be signed and delivered to the McLennan County Elections Administration Office in person or postmarked by the deadline.
And if you’re not sure you’re registered, you can check your status by visiting the Texas Secretary of State’s website.
“We saw record turnout during the primary elections (in March) and I think that will be reflected in what we see for the November election, which is I think what we want,” McLennan County Elections Administrator Jared Goldsmith said.
The county will have its typical five early voting locations, which will include weekend voting on the 24th and 25th. Goldsmith recommends voting early.
“We’re almost kind of preparing like the presidential election,” Goldsmith said.
Requirements to Vote
To be eligible to register, you must:
- be a U.S. citizen
- be a resident of the county you are applying to vote in
- be at least 18 years old by Election Day
- not have been declared mentally incapacitated by a court
- not be a convicted felon, though there are some exceptions
If you are new to McLennan County and need to register to vote or update your registration, you’ve still got time.
If new residents are moving from within Texas, they can update their information online or when updating their drivers license. These changes must be made before the Oct. 5 deadline to be eligible to vote in McLennan county.
If you are registering to vote for the first time in Texas, you must complete an application and return it to the McLennan County Elections Administrations Office by mail or in person.
“If you’re sending it through the mail, it needs to be postmarked by October 5 for it to go into effect, so it may be a good idea to come by our office at this point,” Goldsmith said.
The McLennan County Elections Administration Office is located at 214 N. 4th Street, Suite 300.
In March of this year, more than a million Texans were placed on a voter suspense list.
“Voters get in there because we’ve mailed something to them and they came back undeliverable for whatever reason,” Goldsmith explained.
That can be fixed by filling out a statement of residence form, either before the registration deadline or at the polls, if they still live in the same county.
You can check your status by visiting www.votetexas.gov. Goldsmith says anyone whose status is in question should contact his office.
Important dates
Monday, October 5 — Deadline to register to vote or update your address
Monday, October 19 — In-person early voting begins
Friday, October 23 — Deadline to apply for a ballot by mail
Friday, October 30 — In-Person early voting ends
Tuesday, November 3 — Election Day
What kind of ID will I need to register or vote?
To register to vote, you can use your Texas driver's license or Texas personal ID number issued by DPS. If you don’t have either of those, you can use the last four digits of your Social Security number.
When you head to the polls, you will need to present one of these valid forms of photo ID:
- Texas driver's license (DPS issued)
- Texas election identification certificate (DPS issued)
- Texas personal ID card (DPS issued)
- Texas handgun license (DPS issued)
- U.S. military photo ID
- U.S. citizenship certificate with photo
- U.S. passport (book or card)
You can still use your ID to vote if it expired within the last four years. If you are 70 or older, you can use it regardless of when it expired.
If you couldn’t get one of the above forms of ID, you can use a supporting form of identification like a bank statement or utility bill. But you must sign a document saying you had a reasonable impediment to getting a valid photo ID — like lack of transportation, work schedule, illness or family responsibilities.
