(NEXSTAR) — With fewer than 100 days until Election Day, the deadline for Texas voters to register is quickly approaching. Lone Star State residents still have until Monday, Oct. 7 to register to vote.
But in case you’re wondering if you can register to vote online in Texas, there’s something very important to know. You can’t actually register to vote online.
Here’s what that means.
Although you can click on “Voter Registration” on the VoteTexas.org and Texas.gov sites — and even add your information to a form — you are not registering to vote. While these sites fill out voter registration forms for a voter, users must still print out their registration and either take it to or mail it to their local registrar’s office.
The issue was highlighted in a viral TikTok video uploaded by Texas hairstylist Adrienne Quinn Martin, who uses her platform to promote equality and justice to over 50,000 followers. The video, as seen in this story, shows Martin going through the VoteTexas.org “voter registration” process and being met with a small prompt to then print out the form and take it to a registrar’s office.
“This is a voter suppression trick,” said Martin in the video. “Every other form [on the site] you can hit “Submit” and the form goes through. Why would [a voter] think that they need to print anything out?”
On Tuesday, the Texas Secretary of State’s Office told Nexstar that the office has revised the registration form portion of the website to read “Continue,” rather than “Submit” when someone fills out the form. The Texas SOS Office also told Nexstar that there is an exception which does allow online voter registration, but it must be coupled with a Texas driver’s license renewal.
While users aren’t able to register online, you can, however, update voter registration information like names and addresses, the office notes.
Meanwhile, Martin herself has marveled at the reach and effect her viral video has had in a such short period of time. The Granbury resident says she’s always been passionate about social justice, but became politically active after attending a Democratic Party meeting in Hood County. Martin says she was surprised there were Democrats in her area at all but began attending regularly, ultimately becoming a chairperson.
“Texas needs our help the most,” Martin told Nexstar this week. “It can be really discouraging when you think there will never be change in Texas. But to that, I say: Texas was a Democratic state not that long ago.”
How to register to vote in Texas
In addition to registering in-person at your county’s Voter Registrar Office, Texas voters can also mail forms to their registrar’s office after picking up the forms at an office, at local public libraries, government offices, and high schools.
If you do decide to fill out the form online, here are the steps:
- Fill in your info in the online form
- Print out the form. If you don’t own a printer, know you can print out sheets for under $1 at most public libraries. Additionally, many CVS and Walgreens stores and most UPS Store locations have printing capabilities for cents-per-page
- Once you have your form in hand, you’ll need to sign it and then get it to your registrar’s office either by mail or by dropping it off in person
It’s also important to know that by Texas law, the registrar’s office must have received your registration application at least 30 days before an election. Again, the registration deadline is Oct. 7.
Texans should also be aware that you’ll need an approved photo ID to vote in person. In addition to Texas driver’s licenses, some forms of ID include (must have photos): military IDs, U.S. birth certificates, U.S. Citizenship certificates and Texas Election Identification certificates.
For full information, visit the Texas Voter Registration page at Texas.gov.
Did you know? Texas is one of only eight U.S. states that don’t offer online voter registration. Per Ballotpedia, the other states without active online voter registration are Arkansas, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming.
Nexstar’s Will DuPree contributed to this story.