REGISTERING YOURSELF TO VOTE

In order to vote in an election, you must register at least 30 days prior to the election. If you are not sure if you are registered at your current address, it never hurts to fill out a new application. If you are already registered, the clerk will send you a new voter registration card.

NOTE: You DO NOT have to have this card to actually vote. You can use any government issued picture ID when you vote.

To register for the first time, to change your address, to get a replacement card, or just about anything dealing with voter registration updates, the answer to any question is almost always "Simply fill out a voter registration application." One form fits all situations.

To be eligible to register in Texas, you must:

• be a U.S. citizen
• be a resident of the county
• be 18 years old (you may register at 17 years and 10 months)
• not a convicted felon (unless a person's sentence is completed, including any probation or parole. Once you've completed your sentence and probation or parole you simply fill out the application as if you were registering the first time.
• not declared mentally incapacitated by a court of law

Para ser elegible para inscribirse como votante en Texas, usted debe:

• ser ciudadano de Estados Unidos
• ser residente del condado donde va a inscribirse
• tener 18 aņos de edad (aunque es posible inscribirse a los 17 aņos y 10 meses de edad)
• no tener antecedentes penales por haber cometido un delito grave, (felony) a menos de que haya cumplido la sentencia, inclusive cualquier plazo de libertad condicional (parole) o probatoria (probation)
• no ser sujeto de un decreto judicial vigente que lo declara como persona mentalmente incapacitada

To print out a voter registration application in English, you can click here: http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/forms/vr17.pdf
Para abrir esta forma haga cliq aqui:http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/forms/vr17spanish.pdf

When you have filled in the information, you must mail it to the registration office in your county. For a list click here:http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/voter/votregduties.shtml

CHANGING YOUR ADDRESS OF YOUR REGISTRATION

You should always be registered where you live. You can print out and mail an application from the link in the above section.

CHANGING YOUR ADDRESS OF YOUR REGISTRATIONYou should always be registered where you live. You can print out and mail an application from the link in the above section.

REGISTERING OTHERS TO VOTE

You can obtain postage paid voter registration applications from your county voter registration office. You can pass these out to people and they can mail them in. However, often people will forget to do so. Encourage people to fill them out and then offer to "take them to the post office" to mail them for them.

If you are going to register people at a table or door-to-door, you can become an official deputy voter registrar. This allows you to collect the voter registration card and deliver them to the county office. You can be deputized by going to your local voter registration office and requesting to do so. The County registrat MUST deputize you if you live in the county and are a registered voter. (Some clerks might hassle you, but it is mandatory for them to allow you to do this activity!)

To find out where to go to be deputized, you can look up the phone number and/or address for your county here: http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/voter/votregduties.shtml

UPDATE FOR BEXAR COUNTY: Bexar County Voter Registration Department, 233 N. Pecos Suite 350, San Antonio, TX 78207, (210) 335-8683 (thanks Mark C.)

Typically you will be given about a five minute training (most of which you can read in this section below). You will sign an oath promising to do this correctly and accurately and to defend the Constitution and laws of Texas and the US, etc.

The clerk will give you supplies to take with you to get started. Most counties are pretty tight with large supplies of cards, so don't take more than what you know you can use. If you are doing an event with thousands of people, be sure to call well in advance so that you can be assured of enough supplies.

There are two types of applications: those which are two-sided printed so that they can be mailed postage paid. If you hand these out, be sure the local address is printed on the address side. If it's blank, find out the proper address and fill them in. DO NOT expect the applicant to be able to figure this out!

If you are doing tabling or door to door work, you will be given some form of application and receipt book. Some counties have a card that has a "tear off" receipt for the applicant. Others have an actual receipt book. (Your local voter registrar can approve your use of an application you could print off your home computer with a cut away receipt. Here's the one used in Travis County: LINK TO MARK'S PDF

Ask your registrar if you can use this form. If so, you can make as many as you need on a copy machine. On this type, after the applicant has filled in the boxes, you sign the form and date it AND you sign and date and fill in the applicant's name and address on the tear away receipt. The applicant takes the receipt with them and can use it as proof they registered and can sign in andvote with it if they don't appear on the registration list!