Hidalgo County residents have until Tuesday to register to vote in Nov. 7 elections

Residents have until the end of day Tuesday to register to vote in the upcoming November elections, and local officials want to help.

The Hidalgo County Elections Department, located at 213 S. Closner Blvd. in Edinburg, will be extending its office hours from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday to accommodate the public.

According to the elections department, Tuesday is the last day to register to vote or make voter registration changes to be eligible to vote in the Nov. 7 local elections and the special constitutional amendment election.

“Election voter registration specialists are ready to receive your voter registration applications and are eager to answer any questions,” an elections department news release stated Friday.

The department also conducted a logic and accuracy test of its Hart Verity voting equipment Tuesday, a common practice done before every election. It ensures that ballots are programmed correctly and that all votes are recorded accurately.

“The testing also demonstrates that the tabulation of equipment accurately counts ballots and functions properly,” county elections officials said via Facebook on Wednesday.

Call the elections department for any voter registration questions at (956) 318-2570.

In addition to 14 state constitutional amendments on the ballots, voters in the county will have eight tax ratification elections to decide for the McAllen, Edinburg, Mission, PSJA, Hidalgo, Monte Alto, Progreso and La Joya school districts, with each hoping voter approval will generate hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional funds.

Weslaco ISD, however, is holding three bond elections at a total cost of $160 million, the majority of which would go toward funding construction and renovation work on district property as well as for the purchase of new school buses. Two smaller bond elections at $10 million apiece would address upgrades and construction of performing arts and athletics facilities.

Edcouch-Elsa ISD voters will determine the outcome of a $40 million bond for similar needs — the construction and renovation of district buildings and the purchase of new school buses.

For the Place 3 and 4 city council seats in Edinburg, incumbent Johnny Garcia and David Salazar are on the ballot in the former race while incumbent David White and Gerardo “Gerry” Lozano are running in the latter. Incumbent Hector Bustos Jr. and Armando Guerra are running for municipal court judge in Edinburg.

Weslaco Mayor David Suarez is seeking reelection against challenger Adrian Gonzalez, and District 2 incumbent commissioner Leticia “Letty” Lopez faces challenger Pete Garcia Jr. Place 1 incumbent Josh Pedraza is running unopposed.

Alamo is holding an election for its mayoral office between incumbent Diana Martinez and Place 3 commissioner J.R. Garza, for Place 2 between incumbent Pedro “Pete” Morales and Robert “Mailman” De La Garza, and for Place 4 between Luis “Louie” Olivarez and Arturo “AJ” Garcia. There is also a special election for the Place 3 seat between Roel “Leon” Moreno Jr. and Diego “Manny” Guerrero.

Donna is asking voters to decide the mayoral race which is composed of incumbent Ricardo “Rick” Morales, Ancieto Santana and David Moreno; the Place 1 city council race which is down to incumbent Richie Moreno, Jesse “Coach” Jackson and Arturo “Art” Mendoza; and Place 3 pitting Ernesto Lugo, Joe A. Segura and Lupita Bueno against each other. The municipal court judge post will be between incumbent Javi Garza and Roberto “Colonel” Perez.

The race for mayor in La Joya pits incumbent Isidro Casanova against Esequiel “Chuck” Garza, while Roel Bermea and Enrique “Henry” Cantu are running for the Place 2 seat on the city council, and incumbent Laura Mendiola Macias and Blanca Lamar Gonzalez face off for Place 4. Edwin Eloy Zuniga and Irma Veloz are running for Place 1 in a special election.

The city of Palmview has four propositions on the ballot, including a proposal to reduce the number of councilmembers from five to four after the May 2024 elections, which would make the mayor a voting member of the council. Other proposals include authorizing the council to have more hiring and firing authority over the city manager, stipulating that the municipal court be composed of one presiding judge and two associate judges, and changing the date of adoption for the city budget by or before Oct. 29.