TX Voter Registration Deadline for Presidential Election is Oct. 11

by Mark Richardson

AUSTIN, Texas – State officials are reminding Texans that they only have about three weeks to make sure they are registered to vote in the November 8th general election. With a presidential election, several statewide offices and key legislative and local races on the ballot, elections officials are expecting crowds and long lines at polling places across the Lone Star State.

Alicia Pierce, communications director for the Texas Secretary of State’s Office, said voters can find all the information they need on the statewide elections website, VoteTexas.gov.

“The last day you can register is October 11th in time for the November 8th election,” she explained. “That is a postmark date, not a receive-by date, so if your application is postmarked by October 11th, you have registered in time.”

Pierce said there is a box on the website that voters can open and fill out a Voter Registration Form online. She said once completed, it must be printed, signed and mailed to local election officials. She added that another box on the site will allow those already registered to confirm that their address and other information are up to date.

Early voting in Texas runs October 24th through November 4th. When casting an early ballot, voters do not need to go to their local precinct, but can vote at any polling location in their county. Pierce encourages early voting to avoid long lines on Election Day.

“Obviously, this is a presidential year without an incumbent, and so historically, those tend to be high,” she said. “We saw a lot of interest, especially on Election Day itself, in the primary, so there’s definitely reason to believe that there could be higher turnout.”

Pierce reminds voters that they must be able to identify themselves at the polling station with a government-issued photo ID. If a voter doesn’t have a photo ID, they can sign a form and show an alternative ID document such as a utility bill or a bank statement.