Texas Secretary of State John Scott reminds all eligible Texas voters to ensure they are registered to vote before the upcoming deadline.

The last day to register to vote for the upcoming March 1 primary race is Jan. 31.

“Registering to vote in Texas is easy and straightforward – so long as you are a qualified voter, you can send in a voter registration application to your county’s voter registrar by January 31 and you’ll be eligible to vote in the upcoming Primary Election,” Scott said in a news release. “We want all eligible Texans to participate in all of this year’s upcoming elections, including the Primary Elections in which voters will choose the candidates to appear on the November 2022 General Election ballot. Don’t wait until the last minute – start the registration process today.”

To be eligible to vote in Texas an individual must be a U.S. citizen and a resident of the county where they submit the application.

Voters must also be 17 years and 10 months old on the date the voter registration application is submitted and 18 years of age on election day.

Individuals convicted of a felony or declared to be either mentally incapacitated or partly incapacitated may not vote.

Because Texas is an open primary state, individuals do not register to vote as a member of a political party. Texans can cast a ballot in either party’s primary election, but not both.

Additionally, Sachse residents will have the opportunity to vote in city elections May 7, for which filing opened this week and runs through Feb. 18.

City Council Place 5, which is currently held by Cullen King, and Place 6, held by Jeff Bickerstaff, will be on the ballot. Mayor, currently held by Mike Felix, is also on the ballot.

King is serving his fourth consecutive term after running unopposed in 2013, 2016 and 2019. He previously represented Place 3 from 2008-2011. Bickerstaff is in his third term after initially being elected in May 2013.

Mayor Felix has served as mayor since 2004 and previously sat on council from 1992-2003.

In Sachse, the mayor and councilmembers are elected at-large, meaning they represent the entire city and all registered voters may vote for all seven places.

Candidates seeking office can pick up packets at the Sachse City Secretary’s office, located at City Hall, 3815-B Sachse Rd.

There will also be elections for the Garland Independent School District. Place 1, held by Larry Glick; Place 2, held by Johnny Beach; and Place 3, held by Linda Griffin will be on the ballot.

Glick has served five terms after being first elected in the May 2007 election, Beach has served two terms after being first elected in the May 2016 election and Griffin has served eight terms after being first elected in the May 1998 election.

The filing period is the same as the Sachse city elections with the exception that the deadline to file as a write-in candidate is Feb. 25.

Similar to Sachse’s council places, all GISD positions are at-large, meaning they represent the entire district and all registered voters can vote for all seven places.

Interested candidates may find candidate forms and where to return candidate packets online at garlandisd.net/content/board-elections.

The last day to register to vote for the May election will be April 7. Early voting will begin April 25 and end May 3. Times and locations for early voting have yet to be determined but residents can cast their ballot at any location in the county in which they are registered to vote.

Collin County residents can check their status at collincountytx.gov/elections.

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