Registering to vote in Texas is as easy as 1-2-3:
1. Fill out a voter application available online or in print.
2. Mail, fax or deliver it to the El Paso County Elections Department by Oct. 7.
3. Confirm your voter registration status.
But there are a few things you should know if you’re registering to vote for the first time. You must be a citizen of the United States and must be 18 years old by Election Day. The voter registration deadline for the Nov. 5 general election is Oct. 7.
Here are five key things to know about registering to vote in Texas:
What information do I need to register to vote?
You’ll be asked to provide a Texas driver’s license number or personal identification number issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety. If you don’t have either, you can provide the last four digits of your social security number. (If you don’t have a Social Security number, you must check the box stating you don’t have this information.)
Where can I find a voter registration application?
You can download a printable PDF application directly from the elections department website. The application is postage paid, self-addressed and ready to mail.
Applications can also be found at any U.S. Post Office branch, the Department of Public Safety, El Paso Public Libraries, Texas Health and Human Services Commission offices and local high schools. You can also fill out and print the application through the Texas Secretary of State, or request one be mailed to you.
In-person applications are also available at the El Paso County Elections Department, 500 E. San Antonio Ave., Ste. 315, inside the Enrique Moreno County Courthouse. You can fax your application to 915-546-2220.
Applications are not accepted via email.
Can I register to vote online?
The only way to register to vote online is if you’re renewing your existing Texas driver’s license or state ID online through the Texas Department of Public Safety website. You’ll be given an option to register to vote as you renew or replace your license or ID online.
Where do I register to vote if I’m away at college or the military?
College students can choose whether to claim their residence in their home county or the county where their university is located. You can register to vote in either, but not both. (If you’re registered to vote in El Paso County but are attending school elsewhere, you can cast an absentee ballot.)
Active duty military, their spouses and dependents voting from outside their Texas home county can download a federal postcard application here or through the Federal Voting Assistance Program.
All applications to vote by mail must be received (not postmarked) by the El Paso Elections Department no later than the 11th day before Election Day – that is, by Oct. 25.
For more information on the federal postcard application for military and overseas voters, click here.
Where can I check if I’m already registered to vote?
Once you’re registered, you’ll receive a voter registration certificate within 30 days. The certificate contains your voter ID number, as well as the district and precinct numbers for the elected offices within your voting area.
You can check if you’re registered here by entering your name and date of birth or your voter ID number. There you can also find your voting history, sample ballot and Election Day voting sites.
Once you register, you remain registered. However, you must update your registration if you change your name or have a change of address. You can make those updates online or at the county elections office.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott recently announced that about 1 million people had been removed from the state’s voter rolls since 2021, but election experts point out that federal and state laws already require that voter registration data is kept accurate and up-to-date. Voters removed from rolls had either died, moved out of Texas or failed to respond to notices from election officials.
To ensure you weren’t inadvertently removed from the voter rolls, voting rights groups urge you to check your voter registration status before the voter registration deadline. If you were removed, contact the El Paso Elections Department.
The post How do I register to vote? 3 easy steps and 5 things to know ahead of Nov. 5 elections appeared first on El Paso Matters.
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