TEXAS – It’s not quite full online voter registration in Texas, but it can be seen as a step in that direction.

What You Need To Know

  • Texans can now register to vote online while renewing driver's license

  • Comes following a ruling by a federal judge Wednesday

  • Previously, Texans had to print out and mail in registration form 

  • Deadline to register in time for general election is October 5

Following a ruling by a federal judge on Wednesday, as first reported by the Texas Tribune, Texans are permitted to register to vote online when they update their driver’s licenses.

The move stems from the National Voter Registration Act, commonly referred to as the motor voter law, which permits people to register to vote when applying for or renewing a driver’s license.

Previously, Texas only permitted people to fill out a voter registration form online, which then had to be printed and mailed to their county registrar. Wednesday’s ruling eliminates those extra steps.

Expanding to full online voter registration in Texas would require the Legislature to step in. In all, 41 states allow people to register to vote online.

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Mimi Marziani, president of the Texas Civil Rights Project, told the Texas Tribune that 1.9 million Texans currently use the Department of Public Safety’s online portal to update driving information.

The deadline to register to vote in time for the upcoming election is October 5.