Happy New Year Army of Advocates!
We hope your new year is off to a healthy and happy start and that you’re feeling refreshed to dive back into action! Up next – The Primary Election on March 1.
What is a Primary Election?
A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party’s candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They can be for national, state or local levels and take place several months prior to a general election.
Texas primaries are open, meaning a voter does not have to be registered as a member of a political party to participate in its primary. However, voters in Texas must sign a pledge when voting declaring that they will not vote in another party’s primary in the same year. Winners in primary elections in Texas are determined by majority vote. In the case that no candidate receives more than the 50 percent of votes cast, the top two candidates proceed to a runoff election.
Primary Election Day is March 1, 2022 and we wanted to make sure you were aware of some important dates leading up to election day. There’s a lot at stake in this first election since Texas has redrawn its political districts. The governor and other statewide offices are on the ballot along with races for all seats in the U.S. House and Texas House.
- 14: First day of in-person early voting
- 18: Last day to apply for a ballot by mail
- 25: Last day of in-person early voting
- March 1: Primary Election Day
So, what can you do?
- Make sure you’re registered and encourage others to register by visiting, Vote Texas. Texas does not allow online registration so you will need to complete the form and mail it in.
- Visit the Texas Secretary of State’s site to see the ballot order for the primary in your county
- Sign up to become a poll worker, https://www.texastribune.org/2020/09/21/texas-poll-worker/. There’s a great need for poll workers for the March 1 primary.
Early voting starts February 14 so make your plans now to get out and vote!
Thank you for sharing our message to advocate for a more equitable society where women and girls are full participants.