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By Dawn Burleigh

Early voting will begin October 13 and run for 3 weeks instead of the traditional two weeks this year due to protocols for the coronavirus. To vote in the election, one must register to vote by Monday, October 5, 2020. Election day is November 3, 2020.

One may be able to apply to register to vote in person at the following public facilities:

• State or local voter registration and/or election offices
• The department of motor vehicles
• Public assistance agencies
• Armed services recruitment centers
• State-funded programs that serve people with disabilities

Any public facility that a state has designated as a voter registration agency

Orange County Election Administration is located at 206 Border Street in Orange. One can call the office at 409-882-7973 to request an application for voter registration or to update one’s current information by filling out a form.

To be eligible to vote, one must be:

• A U.S Citizen
• A resident of Orange County
• Be 18 years of age. One may register at 17 years and 10 months of age.
• Not be a convicted felon. Unless the sentence is completed, including probation or parole. One will need to check if re-registering is required.
• Not be declared mentally incapacitated by a court of law.

A person who is diagnosed as being mentally ill, senile, or suffering from some other debility that prevents them from managing his own affairs may be declared mentally incompetent by a court of law, according to http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/

A person who is finally convicted of a felony is not eligible to register to vote. Pursuant to Section 11.002 of the Texas Election Code (the “Code”), once a felon has successfully completed his or her punishment, including any term of incarceration, parole, supervision, period of probation, or has been pardoned, then that person is immediately eligible to register to vote, according to the Texas Secretary of State official website.

One can also apply by printing the voter application at https://www.co.orange.tx.us/departments/ElectionsAdministration/VoterApplication and dropping it off at the office located at 206 Border Street in Orange.

Orange County Democratic Party with the League of Women Voters will hold a Register to Vote event from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3 at Navy Park in Orange.

Another change in this year’s election is the elimination of straight party voting.

House Bill 25, passed during the 85th Legislative Session, eliminated straight-party voting effective September 1, 2020. If you wish to vote for all of the candidates affiliated with one party, you should select each candidate one at a time on your ballot, according to the Orange County Elections Board’s website.