Texas secretary of state to discuss effort to educate voters on National Voter Registration Day
Texas Secretary of State John B. Scott will share details about a campaign aimed at educating voters before the November elections on Tuesday in east Austin.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas Secretary of State John B. Scott will share details about a campaign aimed at educating voters before the November elections on Tuesday in east Austin.
This comes the same day as National Voter Registration Day, a holiday that's been recognized for at least a decade now. According to the National Voter Registration Day website, nearly 4.7 million voters have registered to vote on the holiday to date.
Scott will share information about the "VoteReady" statewide campaign. Its goal is to inform voters about the seven approved forms of photo identification that can be presented at polls to vote:
- Texas Driver License issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)
- Texas Election Identification Certificate issued by DPS
- Texas Personal Identification Card issued by DPS
- Texas Handgun License issued by DPS
- United States Military Identification Card containing the person’s photograph
- United States Citizenship Certificate containing the person’s photograph
- United States Passport (book or card)
The campaign will also explain what voters should do if they can't get one of these IDs.
VoteReady will also cover who's eligible for mail-in voting.
The last day for Texans to register to vote or change their address before this election is Oct. 11. The in-person early voting period in Texas starts Oct. 24 and lasts until Nov. 4. Election Day will happen the following Tuesday, Nov. 8.
If someone would like to apply for a vote-by-mail ballot, the final day to do so is Oct. 28.
The campaign comes about a year after Gov. Greg Abbott signed a controversial elections bill into law. Senate Bill 1 includes a ban on 24-hour polling places, increased ID requirements, restrictions on drive-thru voting and limits voting by mail.
Republicans have said it's a way to ensure Texas elections are secure, but Democrats said the law makes it harder for certain Texans to vote, including people of color.
Challenges to the law were filed, and in May, the Supreme Court of Texas heard oral arguments related to a provision of the law that prohibits public election officials from promoting mail-in voting.
Scott's news conference is set for 10 a.m. Tuesday at the Conley-Guerrero Senior Activity Center off Nile Street in Austin.
This story will be updated with information about the new voter education campaign.