Monday is the last day to register to vote in the Nov. 5 election.
This year is a presidential election year, but that’s not the only thing that will be on Texans’ ballots. (Be sure to check out The Dallas Morning News’ Back to the Ballot, which was designed to help people vote with confidence. We’ve got an online voter guide, too!)
In addition to voting for the U.S. president, Texans will also be able to vote for a U.S. Senate seat and one of the Railroad Commission seats. What else is on the ballot is locally dependent but could include races for congressional and legislative offices, the State Board of Education, and judges.
Ahead of election day, early voting will run from Oct. 21 to Nov. 1.
1. Download and print a registration form from your county voter registrar. In Dallas County, that is the Dallas County Elections Administrator’s Office, and it provides a printable application on its website. You can fill out the application and drop it off at or mail it to the elections office at 1520 Round Table Drive, Dallas, Texas 75247. If mailed, the application must be postmarked by Oct. 7 to be accepted for the November elections. No postage is required.
2. Visit your local voter registrar or county election administrator’s office and pick up a paper voter registration application. You can fill it out and drop it off at or mail it to the voter registrar’s office. Registration applications are also available at libraries, high schools and some post offices.
3. Register to vote through the Texas Department of Public Safety while renewing your driver’s license, even online.
Not sure whether you’re registered?
You can check your voter registration status through the Texas Secretary of State’s website.
Dallas County residents can also check at the county elections administrator’s office website.
If you have moved within the same county since the last election, you should contact your voter registrar to update your address. You can also do this online at the secretary of state’s website.
If you moved to a new county, you must register with your new county by Oct. 7 to be eligible to vote on Nov. 5.
To vote in Texas, you must:
- Be 18 years of age by Election Day.
- Register in the county where you reside.
- Be a U.S. citizen.
- Not be finally convicted of a felony, or if you are, you must have completed the terms of your jail sentence, probation or parole period.
- Not have been declared by a court to be either totally mentally incapacitated or partially mentally incapacitated without the right to vote.
Staff writer Sarah Bahari contributed to this report.
