Edinburg, Texas – Hidalgo County Elections Administrator Yvonne Ramón is urging voters to be on the lookout for their new voter registration certificates, which should have landed in their mailboxes earlier this month. Nearly 300,000 certificates were mailed out on December 5, 2013 by the Elections Department for use in the upcoming 2014 elections.
The new orange cards, which are replacing last year’s yellow certificates, verify a resident’s eligibility to vote in the elections and inform voters in which voting precinct they reside. Voters must present the certificate, or eligible photo identification, at the polls to vote.
Voters are instructed to check their new certificate for any information that is incorrect or has been changed, such as the spelling of their name or their address. The name on the certificate should match the name on the photo identification they will be using at the polls. If they don’t match, the voter should make any corrections on the certificate and mail it back to the elections office. If a voter registration certificate is returned to the county, the Elections Department will mail out an application for a change of address. Election officials are also asking for the public’s help in returning certificates with incorrect addresses or those of deceased individuals, so they may update their records.
Mrs. Ramón also recommends residents take note of the precinct number listed to the right of the voter’s birth year. Recent redistricting has expanded the precincts to 257 precincts, and voters need to be made aware of their respective precincts.
“Due to recent redistricting and various annexations throughout the county, there may be changes to their precinct number and representation,” said Mrs. Ramón. “Voters need to review their certificate and be informed before identifying their polling location and heading out to vote.”
If any irregularities are found on the voter registration certificate or if residents have not received their certificate in the mail they must contact the Elections Department immediately at 956.318.2570.
All changes to voter registration certificates must be made prior to Monday February 3, 2013, which is the last day to submit an application to register to vote for the March 4, 2013 primary election.