Time is running out to register to vote

THE WOODLANDS, TX – It can’t be denied that 2022 is already in full swing. Election years tend to steamroll fast, doubly so when they revolve around “important,” significant elections like the midterms.

Time is rapidly approaching for you to register for the March 1 primary elections. Monday, January 31 is your final opportunity to register if you want to cast a vote that determines who will represent your parties of choice in the November general elections.

It’s easy to determine if you’re already registered; the Texas Secretary of State website has an “Am I Registered?” link at https://teamrv-mvp.sos.texas.gov/MVP/mvp.do. Using your unique voter ID number, your state-issued driver’s license or identification card number, or your full name will get you an easy answer.

If you’ve moved within the same county, there’s an easy link to update your address at https://txapps.texas.gov/tolapp/sos/SOSACManager. Moving to a new county will compel you to register anew; Texas Election Codes prohibit you from voting in a former county if you’ve moved.

If it’s determined that you’re not registered – or need to re-register – to vote, you can easily take care of this task. Easy-to-find links are on the Vote Texas website at https://www.votetexas.gov/register/index.html. You can register online with the Secretary of State, download and print an application to mail in, or visit a local voter registrar; for Montgomery County, the Elections Administrator is Suzie Harvey, P.O. Box 2646 Conroe, TX 77305-2646 – (936) 539-7843 Phone / (936) 538-8143 FAX. For Harris County, the Elections Administrator is Isabel Longoria, P.O. Box 3527 Houston TX 77253-3527 – (713) 274-8200 Phone / (713) 368-2309 FAX.

You are eligible to register to vote if:

• 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, 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.


For the March 1 primary elections, early voting will run from February 14-22; halfway through that is your last day to apply for a ballot for mail. Texas law is firm on requirements to be able to vote by mail; you must:
• be 65 years or older;
• be sick or disabled;
• be out of the county on election day and during the period for early voting by personal appearance; or
• be expected to give birth within three weeks before or after Election Day; or
• be confined in jail, but otherwise eligible.

Now, for Montgomery County races in particular, many of the races are uncontested. Democrats in particular will have a short time at the ballot box, as there is only one member of that party running for any Montgomery County office (district, state, and federal offices are a different matter). The primary will pick the sole representative (or initiate a runoff election shortly thereafter if events dictate).

If for some reason you miss your chance to register for the primary elections, fear not; each election cycle allows for re-registration beforehand. For instance, the May 7 uniform (local and municipal) elections can be registered for by April 7. And if you want to be a general election voter only on November 8, you have until October 11 to get your voter card ordered.

Stay tuned to Woodlands Online for updates on Election Season well underway.

(Photo by Photo by Mougabé Saint Louis on Scopio)