Texas Secretary of State John Scott reminds all eligible Texas voters to ensure they are registered to vote before the upcoming deadline.

The last day to register to vote for the upcoming March 1 primary race is Jan. 31.

“Registering to vote in Texas is easy and straightforward – so long as you are a qualified voter, you can send in a voter registration application to your county’s voter registrar by January 31 and you’ll be eligible to vote in the upcoming Primary Election,” Scott said in a news release. “We want all eligible Texans to participate in all of this year’s upcoming elections, including the Primary Elections in which voters will choose the candidates to appear on the November 2022 General Election ballot. Don’t wait until the last minute – start the registration process today.”

To be eligible to vote in Texas an individual must be a U.S. citizen and a resident of the county where they submit the application.

Voters must also be 17 years and 10 months old on the date the voter registration application is submitted and 18 years of age on election day.

Individuals convicted of a felony or declared to be either mentally incapacitated or partly incapacitated may not vote.

Because Texas is an open primary state, individuals do not register to vote as a member of a political party. Texans can cast a ballot in either party’s primary election, but not both.

Additionally, Murphy residents will have the opportunity to vote in city elections May 7, filing for which opened this week and runs through Feb. 18.

City Council Place 1, currently held by Elizabeth Abraham, Place 2, held by Jennifer Berthiaume, Place 4, currently held by Ken Oltmann, and Place 6, currently held by Jene Butler, will be on the ballot.

The mayor and councilmembers are elected at-large, meaning they represent the entire city and all registered voters may vote for all seven places.

Candidates seeking office can pick up packets at the Murphy City Secretary’s office, located at City Hall, 206 North Murphy Road.

The last day to register to vote for the May election will be April 7. Early voting will begin April 25 and ends May 3. Times and locations for early voting have yet to be determined but residents can cast their ballot at any location in the county in which they are registered to vote.

Collin County residents can check their status at collincountytx.gov/elections.