Deadline to register to vote in November looms

Cherokee County citizens have a few more days to make sure their voices are heard in the upcoming federal, state and local elections.

Deadline for Texans to register to vote in the upcoming November elections is Tuesday, Oct. 9. Elections will be held Tuesday, Nov. 6.

“Cherokee County residents can come by our office and get a voter registration application,” Cherokee County Elections Department Deputy Voter Clerk Becky Slack said. “Or they can download one off the Secretary of State’s website and get it in the mail to us by Oct. 9. Early voting and general voting information for Cherokee County is on our website now, too. We encourage everyone to get registered and get their votes in – it’s such an important privilege to citizens.”

Registration applications can be mailed to the Cherokee County Elections Department, 138 W. Fifth St., Rusk TX 75785. Visit the department’s website at co.cherokee.tx.us. To confirm voter registration status or to download a registration application, visit votetexas.gov. Voters with questions about how to cast a ballot in upcoming elections can call 1-800-252-VOTE.

Texas Secretary of State Rolando Pablos urges voters to contact their respective county elections offices to become familiar with their ballot, locate their appropriate polling location, and plan their trip to the polls.

“The Texas Secretary of State's office wants to ensure that all eligible Texans can cast their ballots with confidence this November, and the first step in doing so is to make sure you are registered and ready to make your trip to the polls,” Pablos said in a statement published on the SOS office’s website. “Prepare yourself, inform yourself, and empower yourself. As a Texas voter, you can set an example for your fellow Texans by showing your commitment to civic engagement. We will continue working with election officials across the Lone Star State to make sure all eligible Texans have the information and resources they need to register to vote and make their voices heard.”

Citizens are eligible to register to vote if they are U.S. citizens, at least 17 years and 10 months of age; a resident of the county in which their application is submitted; not a convicted felon; and have not been declared by a court to be totally mentally incapacitated or partially mentally incapacitated.

Candidates on the November ballot include:

U.S. Senator – Ted Cruz (R), Beto O’Rourke (D) and Neal Dikeman (L);

U.S. Representative, District 5 – Lance Gooden (R), Dan Wood (D);

Texas Governor – Greg Abbot (R), Lupe Valdez (D) and Mark Tippets (L);

Texas Lt. Governor – Dan Patrick (R), Mike Collier (D) and Kerry McKennon (L);

Texas Attorney General – Ken Paxton (R), Justin Nelson (D) and Michael Harris (L);

Comptroller of Public Accounts – Glenn Hegar (R), Joi Chevalier (D) and Ben Sanders (L);

Commissioner of the General Land Office – George P. Bush (R), Miguel Suazo (D) and Matt Pina (L);

Commissioner of Agriculture – Sid Miller (R), Kim Olson (D) and Richard Carpenter (L);

Railroad Commissioner – Christi Craddick (R), Roman McAllen (D) and Mike Wright (L);

State Supreme Court Justice, Place 2 – Jimmy Blacklock (R) and Steven Kirkland (D);

State Supreme Court Justice, Place 4 – John Devine (R) and R.K. Sandill (D);

State Supreme Court Justice, Place 6 – Jeff Brown (R) and Kathy Cheng (D);

Presiding Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals – Sharon Keller (R), Maria Jackson (D) and William Strange III (L);

Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 7 – Barbara Hervey (R) and Ramona Franklin (D);

Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 8 – Michelle Slaughter (R) and Mark Ash (L);

District 3 State Senator – Robert Nichols (R), Shirley Layton (D) and Bruce Quarles (L);

District 11 State Representative – Travis Clardy (R) and Alec Johnson (D);

Justice, 12th Court of Appeals District, Place 3 – Greg Neeley (R);

369th Judicial District Judge – Michael Davis (R);

Cherokee County Judge – Chris Davis (R) and Marlene Jowell (D);

Cherokee County Court-at-Law Judge – Janice Stone (R);

Cherokee County District Clerk – Alison Dotson (R) and Madeleine Ross (D);

Cherokee County Clerk – Laverne Lusk (R);

Cherokee County Treasurer – Erin Curtis (R);

Cherokee County Surveyor – Kris Morgan (R);

Cherokee County Commissioner, Precinct 2 – Steven Norton (R);

Cherokee County Commissioner, Precinct 4 – Billy McCutcheon (R) and Byron Underwood (write-in);

Cherokee County Justice of the Peace, Precinct 1 – Brenda Dominy (R) and Minette Bryant (D);

Cherokee County Justice of the Peace, Precinct 2 – Tony Johnson (R) and Edric Bradford (D);

Cherokee County Justice of the Peace, Precinct 3 – Phillip Grimes (R) and Caesar Roy (D); and

Cherokee County Justice of the Peace, Precinct 4 – Rodney Wallace (R) and Delanna Hollis (D).

Early voting for the Nov. 6 elections in Cherokee County will be held Monday, Oct. 22 through Friday, Nov. 2 at the Cherokee County Elections Department in Rusk; the Jacksonville Public Library, 502 S. Jackson St., Jacksonville; and The River Church, 595 Marcus St., Alto.