Austin is just over a month away from March primaries – and Monday, Feb. 3 is the final day to register to vote.
Some Texans will also need to get their IDs in order. Following a 2013 Supreme Court decision, a state issued drivers license or one of several approved documents is required to cast a ballot at Texas polling stations. (See more information on acceptable documents.)
Tax Assessor/Collector Bruce Elfant says the new law could affect voters in Travis County.
“The new voter ID law is a concern to us because the Secretary of State’s Office identified as many as 37,000 Travis County registered voters who might not have the proper ID that they would need to go vote,” Elfant says. “We want to make sure that every registered voter has the ID that they need to be able to vote with.”
The tax assessors' office notes you do not need a photo ID to register to vote.
Elfant adds that even with the correct ID, people need to make sure they’re registered – especially if they’ve recently moved.
“Last November we had 635,000 registered voters,” he says. “In December we had to purge 45,000 people, because they had moved and their cards came back to us and we couldn’t find them. When people move they’re thinking about their cable and their utility hookups and making sure their furniture doesn’t get damaged; they’re not thinking about voter registration.”
“If you’ve moved and you haven’t reregistered,” he says, “ultimately you’re gonna fall off the roll.”
The 2014 primary elections are March 4. Early voting runs Feb. 18-28.
