Dallas County residents who want a say in the Nov. 3 general election have until Monday, Oct. 5, to get registered. The Texas secretary of state lists Oct. 5 as the last day to register for the November election, which falls 30 days before Election Day as state law requires.
Check your status first
The Dallas County Elections Department is urging voters to confirm their records before the deadline. Registration can be checked on the department's website, DallasCountyVotes.org, through the secretary of state's "Am I Registered?" lookup, or by calling the department at 469-627-VOTE (8683).
That check matters more than usual this fall. The secretary of state began sending Dallas County a backlog of applications that had been filed through the Texas Department of Public Safety, starting Sept. 23, roughly 68,401 records in all, according to the county.
The elections department said its staff worked through the weekend and had processed every eligible application by Sunday, Sept. 27, and that new voters' certificates were mailed Monday, Sept. 28.
"We want voters to feel confident going into this November election, so we are encouraging all voters to take a minute to check their registration," Dallas County Elections Administrator Paul Adams said.
How to register or update
New applicants can start a form on VoteTexas.gov, then print it, sign it and mail it to the county. A mailed application counts if it is postmarked by Oct. 5; one dropped off in person must arrive by that date.
Because the Postal Service does not always postmark mail on the day it is collected, the state recommends asking for a free manual postmark at a post office counter.
Voters who have moved or changed their name can update an existing registration online through Texas.gov, according to VoteTexas.gov.
To register, a person must be a U.S. citizen, be a resident of the county they register in and turn 18 no later than Election Day.
