Note that the separate deadline to register to vote in the Republican and Democratic parties’ runoffs coming on April 13 has passed.

“On May 8 in Harris County, about 90 entities, ranging from small municipal utility districts to cities like Baytown and La Porte and large school districts like Cypress Fairbanks, Humble and Katy are scheduled to elect leaders who make policies and set tax rates,” Vasquez reminded.

Visit the Tax Office Web site at www.hcvoter.net to make sure you are properly registered. If you need to update your address or make a name change, you can obtain a voter registration application on the Tax Office website, at any Tax Office branch location, local post offices, libraries and City of Houston community and health centers.

To be eligible to vote May 8, your completed voter registration application must be delivered to any Tax Office branch location before 4:45 p.m. on Thursday, April 8 or mailed with a U.S. Postal Service postmark date of no later than April 8, 2010. State law requires citizens to be registered to vote 30 days prior to the election date in order to be eligible.

Applicants may register to vote if they:

• Are a resident of Harris County, and
• Are at least 17 years, 10 months of age (to vote, you must be 18), and
• Are a U.S. citizen, and
• Have not been finally convicted of a felony, (unless they have completed all punishment including any term of incarceration, parole, supervision, period of probation, or have been pardoned); and
• Have not been determined by a final judgment of a court exercising probate jurisdiction to be totally mentally incapacitated or partially mentally incapacitated without the right to vote.

For more information, please contact the Harris County Tax Office Voter Registration Department at 713-368-VOTE (8683).