Texans have until Feb. 2 to register to vote in the March 3 primaries, which will determine the Democratic and Republican nominees who advance to the November general election.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Primary voters will choose their party\u2019s nominees for a variety of offices, including governor, attorney general, U.S. senator and Texas House representatives, as well as many other statewide and local positions. Texas has open primaries, which means voters can choose to participate in either the Republican or Democratic primary, but not both.<\/p>\n
To be eligible to register to vote in Texas, you must be a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years old by election day, not a convicted felon, and not have been declared mentally incapacitated by a court.<\/p>\n
Texans can use VoteTexas.gov<\/a> to check their registration status or complete and print a voter registration form, which can then be mailed to 2433 Ridgepoint Dr., Austin, 78754-5231, or dropped off at any Travis County Tax Office. Eligible Texans can also pick up a form at any Travis County Tax Office, U.S. Postal Service office, Austin Public Library branch, or Texas Department of Public Safety or Health and Human Services location.<\/p>\n Residents can update their voter registration online<\/a> to change addresses when moving within Texas. Voters must be registered at their current address to be eligible to vote for local offices.<\/p>\n Applicants are advised not to wait until the last minute to mail their registration forms, because USPS may not postmark mail on the same day it is received, according to a December USPS policy.<\/a> You can request a manual postmark at USPS retail counters when tendering your mail to make sure. If a voter registration application is not postmarked by Feb. 2, it will not be valid.\u00a0<\/p>\n Texas only allows certain groups<\/a> to cast a ballot by mail, such as those 65 and older or individuals expecting to give birth near election day. Applications for ballot-by-mail must be received (not postmarked) by Feb. 20.<\/p>\n In-person early voting runs Feb. 17-27 ahead of election day on March 3.<\/p>\n Doug Greco, chair of the Travis County Democratic Party, said the party is focusing on getting people registered to vote in the primaries with precinct chairs, staff, and local Democratic clubs helping with registration efforts in the community. He said they are also prioritizing listening to voter concerns.<\/p>\n \u201cThe only way we\u2019re going to address [voters\u2019 concerns] is if our precincts vote and we get Democrats elected,\u201d Greco said. \u201cIf our first point of contact is when it\u2019s time to vote, or even when it\u2019s time to register, it\u2019s much harder than if we engage with them year-round at community events.\u201d<\/p>\n On Dec. 23, Texas sent its complete list of registered voters \u2013 including their personal data such as driver\u2019s license numbers and the last four digits of Social Security numbers \u2013\u00a0to the Trump administration, according to The Texas Tribune<\/a>. The state sent the information of about 18.4 million registered Texans to comply with the DOJ\u2019s mission to remove ineligible voters and enforce \u201celection law requiring states to regularly maintain voter lists.\u201d<\/p>\n Greco said despite anxieties around the state sharing voter data with the Trump administration, he still encourages people to register through trusted organizations, including the Travis County Democratic Party, the County Tax Office, and community-based groups.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople are anxious overall because of how the Abbott and Trump administrations operate,\u201d Greco said. \u201cBut we still think anyone who is eligible to register should do so, so we can vote in new leadership.\u201d<\/p>\n