OPINION
I've been a card-carrying voter since I turned 18.
Voting is an incredible right and responsibility.
As anyone who has changed their name knows, the process can be a bit complicated.
Since I got married almost a year ago, that has been a work in progress that I have woven into my life when I can.
If you haven't had to make an appointment for the Department of Motor Vehicles lately, count yourself lucky, because even in small offices, walk-in appointments are hard to come by.
When I finally made it into one to change my name in the spring, I checked the box on the driver's license paperwork to update my voter's registration.
Soon after, I received my card in the mail, complete with my new last name, saying I was good to go for the next election.
I didn't worry about it again until Saturday, when I stumbled on a couple of posts from friends on social media encouraging people to make sure they register for the upcoming midterm elections.
On a lark, I turned to votetexas.gov to check my voter registration.
For some reason, and I've tested this repeatedly, my voter's registration information does not pull up.
Instead, I get this error message: 'You cannot view voter information due to your voter registration status.'
Let me tell you, seeing that message gave me a sinking feeling. What do you mean that despite following the necessary steps and having been a responsible member of society, I'm not sure that my vote will count in the fall? To add to the confusion, when my husband went to votedenton. gov, he pulled up my voter registration immediately and successfully.
I still need to look further into this myself to make sure that when I step into the ballot box, my vote will count.
The state's website does say, 'Voter registration in Texas is countybased, so we encourage you to contact your county voter registrar for specific questions regarding the status of your voter registration.'
Hopefully that means I've been worrying for no reason.
Even if you think you are good to go, I would recommend checking your information to ensure it is current so you face no issues when you attempt to vote.
Oct. 5 is the deadline to register to vote for the Nov. 3 election.
Make sure your voice will be heard.
Abigail Bardwell is the Editor & Publisher of the Post-Signal, and she serves on both the North and East Texas Press Association and the Texas Press Association boards. She can be reached at [email protected].
