With the November General Election less than a month away, there’s still time to register to vote if you haven’t done so already.
But you will have to hurry.
The last day to register to vote in the Nov. 8 General Election is Tuesday, Oct. 11.
The last day to register to vote is usually 30 days before the election, but because Oct. 8 falls on a Saturday and Oct. 10 is a federal holiday, Oct. 11 has been designated as the last day to register.
Election administrators in Cameron and Hidalgo counties said they are seeing an increase in voter registration, with at last count – Wednesday, Oct. 5 – Cameron having over 226,000 registered voters and Hidalgo having 415,535.
Remi Garza, elections administrator for Cameron County, hopes that number will be closer to 227,000 “when it is all said and done this year.”
“We try to set goals each year making sure that we are giving people the opportunity to cast a ballot if they decide to,” he said.
Voter interest in the elections has increased voter registration numbers, which is something officials are excited about, but getting people out to vote is what really matters, officials said.
Gun control, immigration, inflation, and a woman’s right to have an abortion have been at the forefront of many political rallies held in the Rio Grande Valley and around the state over the past few months.
Garza and Hilda Salinas, interim elections administrator for Hidalgo County, said they have seen increased traffic in their offices, with Hidalgo County experiencing nearly a 1,000 increase in registered voters from the week of Sept. 26-30 through the week of Oct. 3-7.
Hidalgo County has experienced an increase in voter registration over the past several years, Salinas said. In November 2020, there were 392,604 registered voters; in 2021, there were 400,241 for the November election.
“We encourage and we do want to see higher voter registration numbers, but we also encourage voters to get out and vote. It is their civic duty,” Salinas said.
Garza said his office has seen a lot of activity, with people going to update their records and the county’s volunteer deputy registrars also bringing in forms.
He believes the increase in the number of people registering to vote is caused by the earlier attention to the elections, candidates’ advertising and more media coverage.
“We have seen a lot more media coverage on this November election then we have in the past,” he said.
Some of the statewide races all voters will be casting ballots include that of governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and general land office commissioner.
Federal races of interest in the Rio Grande Valley are U.S. District 34, U.S. District 15, and state representatives for District 27, District 37, District 20, District 35, District 39, District 41, and District 28.
In Hidalgo County, voters will also be selecting a county judge and district attorney.
“I do know that there is more voter awareness, and there are various organizations … encouraging people to register to vote,” Salinas said. “It’s one thing to register to vote, but it is another thing to get out and vote.”
Salinas said the candidates and the races on the ballots also drive voter registration.
In Cameron County, voters will also be casting votes in the county judge’s race.
To give all Cameron County residents the chance to register to vote, the elections office has been open during the lunch hour.
The elections office will also be open on Monday, Oct. 10, although it is a federal holiday, Garza said. The elections office will have extended hours Tuesday.
In Hidalgo County, the elections office will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 11, for those individuals needing to register to vote on the last day.
The following requirements must be met to register to vote:
>>You are a United States citizen;
>>You are a resident of the county where you submit the application;
>>You are at least 17 years and 10 months old on the date your voter registration application is submitted, and you are 18 years of age on Election Day.
>>You are not a convicted felon (you may be eligible to vote if you have completed your sentence, probation, and parole); and
>>You have not been declared by a court exercising probate jurisdiction to be either totally mentally incapacitated or partially mentally incapacitated without the right to vote.
More information pertaining to Cameron and Hidalgo counties can be found on the following websites: https://www.cameroncountytx.gov/elections/
https://www.hidalgocounty.us/105/Elections-Department
