How To Vote In Texas

The deadline to register to vote in the upcoming November elections is less than two weeks away. This National Voter Registration Day, learn more about how to register to vote in Texas and make your voice heard.

Am I eligible to vote?

First, make sure that you’re eligible to register to vote in Texas. You must be:

• A United States citizen
• A resident of the county in which you apply for registration
• At least 18 years old on Election Day, which is Nov. 5
• Not finally convicted of a felony, unless you’ve finished a jail or prison sentence, including any probation or parole
• Not declared mentally incapacitated by a court of law

I’m eligible. When and where do I register?

The registration deadline is Oct. 7. You can check to see if you’re already registered by looking up your status on the Texas Secretary of State’s Am I Registered? website. There, you can view where you’re currently registered. If you’ve moved to a new address within the same county or have changed your name, you can update that information online.

There are a few options to request an application and get registered:

• Fill out a voter registration application online at the Texas Secretary of State website, print it and mail it to the county voter registrar.
• Register by mail by requesting an application from your county voter registrar’s office. Once you’ve completed the application, submit it to the county voter registrar in your county of residence. Complete applications must be postmarked by Oct. 7 to be accepted. You may also register in person.
• Voter registration applications can also be found at post offices, libraries, Texas Health and Human Services Commission offices and Texas Department of Public Safety offices.

Should I be registered to vote in Brazos County?

That’s up to you. Many Texas A&M University students may be registered to vote in the counties of their hometowns. If you can’t make it back to your hometown to vote, you can vote early by mail by requesting an application for ballot by mail from your local voter registrar or from the Texas Secretary of State website. The last day to apply for a mail-in ballot is Oct. 25.

If you’re interested in voting on local issues in Brazos County – and the cities of College Station or Bryan, depending on your address – like taxes, transportation, public safety and other quality of life issues, you need to be registered to vote here. Being registered to vote in Brazos County also allows you to skip the process of absentee voting by casting a ballot in person at any polling location in the county. That includes the Memorial Student Center for both Election Day and early voting.

For more information on registering to vote, visit the Secretary of State’s Vote Texas website or the Brazos County elections website.