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It’s a common refrain each election year: Winning depends on who can turn out the most voters. And local elections and midterms, like the one coming up on Nov. 8, always have lower voter turnout than in presidential years. 

Every election, the parties work to register more voters and convince them to actually go vote, but millions of Texans still stay home. In the last midterm election, just under half of Bexar County’s registered voters showed up to vote; in 2014, it was just 32%.

There are almost 22 million Texans older than 18, and just over 17 million of them are registered to vote, according to an analysis by The Texas Tribune. In 2020, when voter motivation was high, about 67% of registered voters cast ballots, but they represented just over half of the eligible voting-age population.

If you’re already registered, great! If you’re not sure, you can find out (see details below). If you aren’t registered, the deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 8 midterm election is Oct. 11.

Now, we’ll answer all your election season questions. Is there a question we missed? Ask it in the comments below this article, and we will find the answer.

Learn more about the candidates up and down the ballot and see their responses to our Q&A by checking out the San Antonio Report’s in-depth 2022 voter guide.

How can I determine if I’m registered to vote?

You can check your voter registration status here. You’ll need either: 

I’m not registered yet. How do I know if I’m eligible to register?

You are eligible to register to vote if you are:

If you’re a new voter in Texas, you have several options to register to vote, including:

What if I’m registered to vote but have moved since I last voted?

If you are already registered but need to update your address, name or other information, you can do that online at texas.gov.

What about voting by mail?

You must request an application from the Bexar County Elections Department to vote by mail. In Texas, you are eligible to vote by mail only if you:

On your application to vote by mail, you must include an ID number, either your Texas Driver’s License number, your Personal ID number or the last four digits of your Social Security Number. The law requires that one of the numbers must match a number on your voter registration record.

Is it too late to apply to vote by mail?

The deadline for Bexar County to receive your application to vote by mail is Oct. 28.

Early voting starts Oct. 24 and continues through Nov. 4, with 51 voting locations open. Voting hours vary during that period. Click here to see where and when you can vote early.

If I’m registered to vote but haven’t received my voter registration card, can I still vote?

Yes. You aren’t required to show your registration certificate to vote in person. Just be sure to bring one of seven approved forms of photo ID for voting, and know what forms of ID you can bring if you don’t possess and can’t reasonably obtain one.

This article was assembled by various members of the San Antonio Report staff. More by San Antonio Report Staff