Today is the last day to register for Nov. 6 polls

Today is the last day to register to vote in the Nov. 6 elections. Registration forms are available for download from the county's website and can be filled out and mailed to the Hays County Elections Administrator, 712 S. Stagecoach Trail, Suite 1012, San Marcos, TX 78666-5999. Voter registration forms with prepaid postage, in English and Spanish, are also available at the San Marcos Public Library. 

Residents can check to see if they are registered to vote at the Texas Secretary of State's website. 

Statewide voter registration data has shown that Hays County has added more voters to the polls since the March primary than any other county in Texas. Voter registration in the county is up from 108,368 to 128,422, growing by 4.4 percent. Of those registered voters, almost 20,000 are in “suspense” status, according to the Hays County elections office. That means their voter certificate or other mail has been returned to a county office, indicating the person could no longer reside at their registered address. State law allows “suspense” voters to cast ballots if they fill out a Statement of Residency declaring that they still live in Hays County, according to the elections office.

Figures from the Secretary of State’s office show that in 2014, Hays County had 106,581 registered voters; only 39,086 people, or 36.67 percent of registered voters, cast ballots. In 2016, registration and turnout both increased, with 121,326 Hays County residents registering and 71,945 people, or 59.3 percent of registered voters, casting ballots.