HOUSTON — As the voter registration deadline for the November General Election approaches, there is a final push among voter advocacy groups to get eligible people signed up during a record-breaking year for the state.
According to the Texas Secretary of State's Office, the state has surpassed 18 million registered voters for the first time, with 18.4 million registered as of Sept. 23. It's a milestone coinciding with the state's booming population growth as well as the efforts of voter advocacy groups leading efforts to get voters registered.
Among those groups is the League of Women Voters of Houston.
The organization said it has registered 19,000 new voters this year alone. With the Oct. 7 voter registration deadline for the November General Election, the group is making one final push.
Volunteers for the League of Women Voters of Houston helped people register to vote at the Museum of Fine Arts on Thursday.
"Oh, it's been a push," volunteer Diane Pulsipher said. "I'm going to be registering voters today, tomorrow and Saturday."
Pulsipher told KHOU 11 she believes the volunteer work she is doing is making an impact.
"I just retired at the end of June and I wanted to go do something that mattered and this felt really important to me," Pulsipher said.
Pulsipher, and fellow volunteer Kristin Foster, said the group wanted to have a table for voter registration at the museum as part of an effort to reach people where they are.
"I've been working here, I've been working at doctor's offices to register voters, grocery stores, anywhere, I register people at the gas station," Foster said.
The effort to register voters also comes at a time when scrutiny over the state's voter rolls is ramped up. Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson addressed concerns about election integrity in a one-on-one phone interview with KHOU 11 Thursday.
"I want to assure everyone that Texas leads the way on election security measures," Nelson said.
Earlier this year, Gov. Greg Abbott touted the removal of more than 1 million people from the state voter rolls since 2021. On top of that, Attorney General Ken Paxton has put forward efforts to investigate the idea of noncitizens registering to vote, though there's been no evidence of widespread efforts presented.
"I want to make sure that people understand they can have confidence that we, every day, every day are looking over our list," Nelson said of her office's efforts to ensure the voter registration rolls are accurate.
Nelson added she will be working with her office to help instill confidence among Texans that their elections are free and fair.
"We're going to make sure that elections are secure and they can count on us to make sure that happens," Nelson said.
Important dates
- Last day to register to vote: Monday, Oct. 7
- First day of early voting in person: Monday, Oct. 21
- Last day to apply for ballot by mail: Friday, Oct. 25
- Last day of early voting in person: Friday, Nov. 1
- Last day to receive ballot by mail: Tuesday, Nov. 5, which is Election Day.
More information for voters can be found in KHOU 11's Voter Guide.