Deadline to register to vote for Texas primary elections is Monday

The time is coming for voters to gear up for elections.

The deadline to register to vote is Monday, and those who don’t have a photo ID suitable for the polls are encouraged to get one soon.

“We’re seeing a fair amount of activity,” said Linda Krefting, president of The League of Women Voters of Texas, an organization that aims to increase voting participation. “A number of county elections offices have been out across the state. That’s all good news.”

She said the bad news continues to be Texas’ low voter turnout. During the last March gubernatorial primary, 11 percent of Republicans and 5 percent of Democrats turned out.

This time, however, a number of competitive statewide races are at stake, including the governor’s spot, and Krefting said she hopes “because there is more excitement about some of the races, we’ll see more voter turnout.”

The Texas Department of Public Safety asked that people remember to get the right documentation to vote.

“The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) is reminding Texans in advance of the upcoming primary election that Election Identification Certificates (EIC) are available at all Texas driver license offices for individuals in need of proper identification required to vote in elections in Texas,” a DPS release states.

Voters do not need an EIC if they have a Texas driver’s license, a Texas personal identification card, a U.S. passport book or card, a Texas concealed handgun license, a U.S. military identification with a photo, or a U.S. citizenship certificate or certificate of naturalization with a photo.

EICs are free to those who qualify.

The new form of identification has proved controversial. Democrats say it puts a roadblock in front of minority Texans who may not have a driver’s license available, while Republicans praise the law as a voter fraud deterrent.

As the primary date approaches, the number of registered voters in the state has increased.

In December 45,524 new voters had registered, and in January thus far, the number is 52,638, staff with the Texas Secretary of State’s Office said.

Jeff Hillery, a spokesman with the Texas Secretary of State’s Office, recommended votetexas.gov as a “one-stop resource” to find out how to register to vote.

Texans can register through their county voter registrar.

Reprinted with permission from the San Angelo Standard-Times.