As we grow up in school, we are told how voting is very important and in the last few years there has been a major push to register voters.  There is RocktheVote reaching out to the younger crowd and ProjectVote.org that works to mobilize marginalized and under-represented voters.

If anything comes from my running for City Council I hope it is this: People learn that every vote actually matters.

In 2013, Bellaire, Texas population was 17,849  There are currently 12,186 registered voters, as of August 28^th 2015.

I pulled some unofficial date from the 2013 Bellaire General Election.

Nauert won re-election over Councilman Corbett Parker 1,764 to 1,353   = 3117 Votes  26% of registered voters

Gus Pappas beat Doug Christians 1,721 to 1,035  = 2756 Votes  23% of registered voters

Council Member Roman Reed = 2,263 Votes  19% of registered voters

Council Member Andrew Friedberg  = 2,266 votes  19% of registered voters

$5 million to purchase land and relocate city facilities failed 1,474 to 1,678 =  3152 Votes  26% of registered voters

If you are not yet registered  click here

To vote in a Harris County election, you must be registered to vote at least 30 days before the election date. To change your name or address, a completed and signed application is also required.

Eligibility for Registration:

To be eligible for registration as a voter in this state, a person must:
1. be 18 years of age^* or older;
2. be a United States citizen;
3. not have been determined by a final judgment of a court exercising probate jurisdiction to be:
   1. totally mentally incapacitated; or
   2. partially mentally incapacitated without the right to vote;
4. not have been finally convicted ^† of a felony or, if so convicted, must have:
   1. fully discharged the person’s sentence, including any term of incarceration, parole, or supervision, or completed a period of probation ordered by any court; or
   2. been pardoned or otherwise released from the resulting disability to vote; and
5. be a resident of the county in which application for registration is made.

^{* To be eligible to apply for registration, a person must, on the date the registration application is submitted to the registrar, be at least 17 years and 10 months of age and satisfy the above requirements except for age.}

^{† A person is not considered to have been finally convicted of an offense for which the criminal proceedings are deferred without an adjudication of guilt.}

Confirm your Voter Registration Status

You may easily confirm your voter registration status by searching for it on our website or the Texas Secretary of State’s website. If you are currently living in Harris County but are registered to vote in another county, you must be registered to vote in Harris County at least 30 days prior to Election Day in order to vote in Harris County.

Where to Register to Vote

Registering to vote is fast and easy! Simply complete a Voter Registration Application and mail the signed application (at least 30 days before the election date) to:
MIKE SULLIVAN
Tax Assessor-Collector
P.O. Box 3527
Houston, Texas 77253-3527

Obtain a Voter Registration Application by these convenient ways:

1. Visit any Harris County Tax Office location and submit your completed, signed form from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Our location can be found here.
2. Download and print an application in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, or Chinese
3. Request an application online from the Texas Secretary of State.
4. Request, via e-mail at voters@hctx.net, and our office will mail a paper application to you. Please provide a mailing address and phone number in your email. (Harris County Tax Office)
5. Call 713-274-VOTE (8683) to be assisted in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, or Chinese.
6. You can pick-up an application at your local U.S. Postal office, library, high school, Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) site, Texas Health and Human Services Commission and other government offices.

You just made a difference.

See you at the polls on November 3rd!!

Request for Ballot by Mail – Overseas Voter for Bellaire General Election

Today I was told by our city clerk, Tracy Dutton, that there was a request for information on how an overseas voter can vote in the Bellaire General Election.  Here is that info in case any overseas or military personnel want to vote.

“The Harris County Clerk’s Office has an online process for military and overseas voters to fill out a “Federal Post Card Application” and receive an absentee ballot.  The City of Bellaire has contracted with Harris County to conduct our General Election (Mayor, Councilmen – Position Nos. 2, 4, and 6) and Special Election (to fill a vacancy in the Office of Councilman – Position No. 5).  As you probably already know, these elections will be held on Tuesday, November 3, 2015.

In order to apply, access the Harris County Clerk’s Election Division website as follows:  www.harrisvotes.com.  Once on the homepage, click on the tab titled “Voting Info.”  From the dropdown menu, select “Military/Overseas.”  From there, select “Click Here to Submit an FPCA Online or to Check Your Status.”  From there, click “Click here to fill out a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA).”