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From staff reports

AUSTIN – Texas Secretary of State Ruth R. Hughs reminded eligible Texas voters of the upcoming April 1, 2021 voter registration deadline for the May 1st election. With two weeks until the deadline, the Secretary issued a final call to action to voters, community leaders, and elected officials to encourage their fellow Texans to register and prepare to vote in the upcoming election.

“Exercising your right to vote and making your voice heard is a fundamental part of our democracy,” Hughs said. “I encourage all eligible Texans who have not already done so to register to vote by April 1st so that they can actively participate in shaping the future of Texas.”

Texans should begin by checking their registration status on the Texas Secretary of State’s website on the “Am I Registered?” page.

If you have moved to a new address within the same county or have changed your name, you can update your information online.

Completed voter registration applications must be postmarked by April 1, 2021 in order to be accepted.

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.

Voters with questions about how to cast a ballot in the upcoming May 2021 uniform election can call 1-800-252-VOTE or visit VoteTexas.gov for more information.