Register, vote: a two-step process

Important new information is out about the coming Nov.8 election in Texas.

Since the March 1 primary elections, more than 1 million Texans have added their names to the voter registration rolls, according to Ryan Data & Research, an Austin consulting firm for Republican campaigns.

That means more than 15 million people in Texas are eligible to vote for president and to decide the other important races and questions on the Nov. 8 ballot.

Tuesday is the last day to register.

The number of registered voters is very important — but it won’t amount to a hill of beans if they don’t vote. It’s a two-step process: Register, then vote. Repeat for emphasis: Register, then vote.

The Texas secretary of state’s office reports that more than 19 million Texans are old enough to register and vote. Typically, around 44 percent of them do so in a presidential election year.

Ryan Data notes some interesting facts about those who have registered since March 1.

There are more women (49.8 percent) than men (47.9 percent). A large share (23.3 percent) have a Hispanic surname.

The average age is 36.4 years. Republican districts have typically added far more registrants than those run by Democrats.

U.S. Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Pilot Point, has added 36,558 new registrants in his district, among the state’s five largest congressional district gains. U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey, D-Fort Worth, added 16,881, among the state’s lowest.

Tarrant County has increased its voter rolls 6.9 percent, typical for the state’s large counties.

Early voting starts Oct. 24.

This story was originally published October 4, 2016 at 6:03 PM with the headline "Register, vote: a two-step process."