As the November elections are fast approaching, counties’ elections administrators say there is still time to register to vote.
Cameron County Elections Administrator Remi Garza said the last day to register to vote in Texas is in two weeks on Oct. 5 and people have several options.
“They can find a voter registration card, either at their local public library or our county building, or a city building,” Garza said. “They can go to our website and actually download one, fill it out and mail it in the address is on the bottom of the card, or if they’d like us to, they can actually fill out an online request and we will mail them an application that has the pre-stamped card on the on the back, so you can return it to us.”
People can also visit the Cameron County elections office at 1050 East Madison Street in Brownsville to fill out the application.
Hidalgo County Elections Administrator Yvonne Ramón said that voter registration information and instructions can be found on the county’s website.
“Well, you can just go online, here at our election’s website, the secretary of state has an application,” Ramón said. “I see downstairs in our lobby, filled with people day in and day out where they actually come in, they ask for an application, they sit down, they fill it out and they turn it in.”
To fill out the application in person, visit 213 South Closner Boulevard in Edinburg.
As of last week, more than 216,000 people are registered to vote in Cameron County and more than 386,000 in Hidalgo County.
Early voting starts Oct. 13 and ends Oct. 30 with Election Day being Nov. 3.
Residents in both counties have three options to vote: polling locations, curbside voting or mail-in ballots.
To find an early voting or Election Day polling site, visit votetexas.gov.
The UTRGV Edinburg campus will have an early voting and Election Day site in the Ballroom.
While the Brownsville campus will not have an early voting site, there will be one in close proximity at the Texas Southmost College Jacob Brown Auditorium.
Both counties will be taking precautionary measures for in-person voting, such as implementing social distancing, face mask protocols, and cleaning and disinfected areas.
Garza also explains people who would like to vote by mail must apply but there are several requirements for it.
“One is that you are 65 [years old] on election day or older,” Garza said. Two, that you’re going to be out of the county during the early vote and election day period. Three, that you are having a disability or sickness that prevents you from going to the pool without requiring assistance or endangering your health. And four, that you’re confined to jail, but still have the right to vote.”
For more information on how to register to vote and other election information, visit the Hidalgo or Cameron County elections department’s website.
FOR VAQUERO NEWS, I’M VICTOR RAMIREZ.
