Feb. 5 is the last day to register to vote and to submit an address change for the upcoming primary elections in March.
If voters would like to cast their vote by mail, the last day to apply for a ballot by mail is Feb. 23, according to the Texas Secretary of State website. Mail-in ballots must be submitted to the county in which the voter resides by Election Day, March 5.
The first day of early voting takes place on Feb. 20. The last day to cast an early ballot is March 1.
Polls will open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. from Feb. 20 to Feb. 24 and Feb. 26 to March 1 in Hidalgo County.
In Cameron County, early voting will take place from Feb. 20 to March 1. For a schedule of voting hours at the 19 polling sites, visit its website.
One hundred fifty seats in the Texas House of Representatives and 15 seats of the Texas Senate will be up for election.
Republicans and Democrats will vote for their respective nominee for U.S. president, as well as U.S. senator and representatives, plus state and county officeholders.
Andrew Smith, an assistant professor of political science and pre-law adviser, told The Rider about the key issues regarding the upcoming election.
“Certainly the economy, broadly speaking, is going to be on people’s minds,” Smith said. “Here, in the [Rio Grande] Valley, immigration concerns are going to be in a lot of people’s minds.”
He said social media platforms influence upcoming elections.
“Social media has played a major role since the early 2010s in voting,” Smith said. “… It can be a way to help people get in touch with political campaigns…and improve the quality and quantity of candidates.”
The assistant professor said there is a dark side of social media that can influence voters.
“Social media, as we saw with the 2020 election, just let misinformation spread like wildfire,” Smith said.
Alvaro Corral, an assistant professor of political science, said there are key issues that might affect voters in both parties in the upcoming election.
“Democrats may be upset with Gov. [Greg] Abbott’s movements on Operation Lone Star,” Corral said. “And there’s the question of immigration. The aggressive measures taken on the U.S.-Mexico border and the passage of SB 4.”
He said Republicans are motivated by the presidential election year.
“They are motivated by both their sort of support of Donald Trump and also their likely opposition of President Biden and the Democrats for the last administration since 2020,” Corral said.
Smith said there have been recent changes in the electoral policy that might affect the voting process.
“Back in 2021, and with some updates in 2023, Texas passed greater restrictions on absentee ballots, including stricter requirements on signature matching, and restrictions on who is allowed to drop off an absentee or by mail ballot,” he said.
Smith explained the difference between primary elections and Election Day in November.
“The primary elections are when voters decide who a particular party’s nominee in the general election will be,” he said. “Whoever wins the primaries will go on to compete in the general election in November.”
To cast a vote in person, voters must bring a valid photo ID or a valid voter registration certificate. To register to vote or check one’s voter registration status, visit https://www.votetexas.gov.
