AUSTIN (KXAN) — Tuesday is National Voter Registration Day, a national initiative started more than a decade ago to help register eligible American voters ahead of the November elections.
Since the civic holiday’s inception in 2012, the organization National Voter Registration Day and its teams have helped more than five million Americans register to vote. The annual holiday comes ahead of Texas’ Oct. 7 registration deadline for the November election.
Key 2024 General Election dates to know in Texas
The League of Women Voters of Texas outlines several major deadlines and dates for those voting in the November election.
Oct. 7 is the final day prospective voters can register to vote or change their address before the General Election. Oct. 21 is the first day to vote in person, with early voting running through Nov. 1.
The last day to apply for a ballot by mail is Oct. 25. That is the date when the application must be received, not postmarked, per the Texas Secretary of State.
Election Day is Nov. 5. The final day to receive a ballot by mail is by 7 p.m. on Nov. 5 if the carrier envelope isn’t postmarked, or by Nov. 6 at 5 p.m. “if the carrier envelope is postmarked by 7:00 p.m. at the location of the election on Election Day.” Exemptions to that rule are available to those overseas or who are serving in the military during Election Day.
The League of Women Voters of Texas’ VOTE411 resource website also has personalized voting information and details on what’s on individual people’s ballots.
Voter eligibility and what you need to register in Texas
Those in Texas can vote in an election if they match the following criteria:
- Must be a United States citizen
- Must be a resident of the county where they submitted the voter registration application
- Must be at least 17 years and 10 months old on the date of submitting their application, and must be 18 years old on Election Day
- Must not be a convicted felon (with some eligibility available to those who have completed their sentence, probation and parole)
- Must be have been declared “either totally mentally incapacitated or partially incapacitated without the right to vote”
Those registering to vote in Texas for the first time can complete their registration in one of the following ways:
- Complete a Texas Secretary of State application online, print it, sign it and then mail the completed application to your county election office
- Request a printed application from the Texas Secretary of State and the office will send a postage-paid voter registration application to the applicant’s address to complete and then mail in
- Visit your local Voter Registrar to finalize the voter registration process
Those not yet registered but who do have a Texas driver license or state identification can register to vote online while renewing, replacing or changing their contact information on those cards. That process can be done via the Texas Department of Public Safety, with more details about how to navigate that system available online.
Those who are registered but need to update their name or address can update their voter registration details through the Texas Secretary of State’s voter portal.
Voter registration events in Austin
The League of Women Voters’ Austin Area chapter is running several voter registration events throughout September ahead of the Oct. 7 registration deadline. Upcoming registration events include opportunities at Alamo Drafthouse locations, shopping plazas and community events.
A calendar breakdown of those voter registration opportunities are available online.
Do’s and don’ts on Election Day in Texas
Those voting in person must bring and present one of these seven accepted forms of ID:
- Texas driver license
- Texas election ID certification
- Texas personal ID card
- Texas handgun license
- U.S. citizenship certificate with photo
- U.S. military ID card
- U.S. passport (book or card acceptable)
Those who either don’t possess or can’t access one of these photo IDs can fill out a reasonable impediment declaration and show a copy or original version of one of these forms of ID:
- Certified domestic birth certificate or court admissible birth document
- Current utility bill
- Bank statement
- Government check
- Paycheck
- Government document with your name and an address, including your voter registration certificate
In Texas, those voting in person can’t use their cell phones within 100 feet of voting stations or use any mechanical or electronic devices to record sound or images within the same geographic boundary.
Devices that can’t be used in polling places include cell phones, cameras, tablet computers, laptop computers, sound records and other devices used to communicate wirelessly or capture sound or images.
Likewise, Texas voters cannot wear apparel “relating to a candidate, measure, or political party,” per the Texas Secretary of State. Those who do might be asked to remove or cover up the apparel before entering to vote.
More details on voting in person are available online.