PRESS RELEASE
October 16, 2024

Tax Office's First-Ever Extended Hours for Voter Registration Deadline Sparks Large Voter Registration Participation
Over 1,200 individuals visited Tax Office locations for Voter Registration Purposes

Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector and Voter Registrar Ann Harris Bennett proudly announces that 1,201 individuals visited Tax Office locations to register to vote or update their voter registration records before the state's October 7, 2024, deadline.

Of those visitors, 705 were eligible unregistered voters or current voters, 182 were Volunteer Deputy Voter Registrars (VDVRs), and 314 VDVRs visited other Tax Office branches.

The Tax Office made a significant move by extending its hours to 9 p.m. at its downtown location for the first time on a voter registration deadline day.

“Staying open late was a thoughtful step to assist those who were unable to visit a Tax Office branch before the office's regular closing hour, making the process more inclusive and accessible,” said Bennett. “This action made a substantial impact on the voter registration process and will become a normal procedure for all future voter registration deadlines.”

Monday, October 7, 2024, was a crucial deadline for eligible unregistered individuals to register if they wanted to vote on November 5, 2024. The deadline was also the cut-off date for making any corrections or updates to existing voter registration records, like address or name changes, before the November 5 election.

Texas law requires eligible unregistered voters to register by the 30th day before the election day in which they would like to vote.

From October 2 to October 8, 33,494 voter registrations were received, including 13,965 new registrations, marking a significant increase in voter participation; from August 1 to October 8, 204,728 registration applications were accepted, of which 77,315 were new registrations, demonstrating a sustained interest in voter registration over a longer period.

The Tax Office's relaunched text-to-register feature, a simple and convenient way for eligible individuals to register to vote, was a resounding success. This feature allows a person to register by simply sending a text message, making the process quick and easy.

Eligible unregistered voters may register to vote, and registered voters may update their voter record by sending a text with #RegisterHarris to 281-720-3900.

The next voter registration deadline is November 14, 2024, for the December 14, 2024, runoff election.

An individual may register to vote if they meet the following requirements:

• • Are a United States citizen
• • Are a resident of Harris County
• • Are at least 17 years 10 months of age (to vote, you must be 18)
• • You are not a convicted felon (you may be eligible to vote if you have completed your sentence, probation, and parole); and
• • You have not been declared by a court exercising probate jurisdiction to be either totally mentally incapacitated or partially mentally incapacitated without the right to vote.

Voter registration applications may be downloaded from www.hctax.net or found at U.S. Postal Offices, public libraries, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, and other government offices.

Call 713-274-8200 for voter registration assistance in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, or Chinese