Voting can be intimidating, especially for first-time voters. This year, Texas voters will decide on multiple races, including the upcoming presidential elections, congressional and state representatives, and multiple judicial races.
The deadline to register to vote is on Oct. 7, 2024.
While you cannot register online to vote in Texas, you can visit VoteTexas.gov to fill in your details, sign and mail the application, or you can visit a local voter registrar’s office and register in person.
While county elections officials aim to get more people to register, more than 2.1 million voter registrations have been in “suspense” and may be unable to vote. Moreover, more than 1 million voters were removed from the rolls since September of 2021, which is a routine process to exclude those voters who have moved out of state or are dead, but some argue it’s a voter suppression tactic. Votebeat says there has been no evidence of widespread noncitizen voting, which Republicans deem a persistent issue.
It is important to note in Texas, the voter rolls purge will not take place until after the 2024 presidential election.
Harris County
In Harris County, you can register to vote if you:
Are a resident of Harris County
Will at least be 18 years old by Election Day
Have not been declared partially/completely mentally incapacitated without the right to vote by a final judgment of a court
Have NOT been finally convicted of a felony. Even if someone has been convicted, they must be completely discharged from the sentence.
Step 1:
Texas law requires you to print, sign, and date your application and mail it to PO Box 3527, Houston, Texas 77253.
Step 2:
Voters must check their status and make sure their names and addresses are up-to-date. Election officials suggest that people should update their addresses every time they move and re-register if they change counties. If they do not, their new card will be returned because a voter registration card cannot be forwarded, which triggers a letter. New cards arrive every two years.
Step 3:
For step 2, they must visit https://www.hctax.net/Voter/Search.cshtml and enter their name. If their name shows up, great! You can vote. If not, they can follow step 4.
Step 4:
Ending up on the “suspense list” does not mean a voter cannot cast a ballot. Upon receiving a notice of confirmation, one must fill it out and mail it back within 30 days to be removed from the list and vote in the next two general elections.
If the voter must vote from their old precinct, then the election judge will require them to sign a residence statement before voting.
Note:
Not all voter registration information is available online.
SECTION 2. Section 13.004(d), Election Code says:
“The voter registrar or other county official who has access to the information furnished on a registration application may not post the following information on a website:
- a telephone number;
- a social security number;
- a driver’s license or a number of a personal identification card;
- a date of birth; or
- the residence address of a voter who is a federal judge or state judge, as defined by Section 13.0021, if the voter included an affidavit with the application under Section 13.0021 or the registrar has received an affidavit submitted under Section 15.0215.”
Step 5:
Around 45 days before an election, the HarrisVotes.com office posts sample ballots to their website. Sample ballots are unique to one’s address and will show all the races and candidates that will be on the ballot, which a voter can bring into the voting booth for reference.
Step 6:
Find a voting center at a convenient location.
Step 7:
Bring acceptable identification proof when voting in person. These include:
Texas Driver License issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)
Texas Election Identification Certificate issued by DPS
Texas Personal Identification Card issued by DPS
Texas Handgun License issued by DPS
United States Military Identification Card containing the person’s photograph
United States Citizenship Certificate containing the person’s photograph
United States Passport (book or card)
Fort Bend County
In Fort Bend County, 86,646 Fort Bend voters were removed from the rolls from Jan. 1, 2021, to early September of this year. Moreover, 54,343 names ended up on the suspended list.
If you do not find your registration, you can update your name and/or address online if the voter still lives in the same county they registered to vote in. If they moved, they must re-register using the printed Voter Registration Application.
A Fort Bend County Election Administrator told KHOU 11, “Those who have not updated by November 5 and were placed on Suspense before the November 2022 election will be canceled on Dec. 1, 2024.”
In this county, you can confirm your registration status on this website. The Voter Registration Database Search will give you three ways to search:
- Your first and last name,
- DOB, and your first and last name, and
- A VUID, which appears on your voter registration certificate.
Montgomery County
In Montgomery County, you can look up your voter information on this website by filling in your last name, first name, and date of birth.
