Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson visits Amarillo to educate voters on new rules

Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson spoke Wednesday at the opening day of the Texas Association of Elections Administrators in downtown Amarillo as part of her statewide voter education tour.

“I am here to help remind Texans about the requirements for voting and make sure they are ready to cast a ballot,” Nelson said. “My goal is to make sure every qualified Texan who wants to vote has all the information they need to cast a ballot.”

This tour is part of a push by Nelson to make sure voters are aware of changes to voter requirements that have taken place across the state and to raise voter awareness of voter ID and voting-by-mail requirements.

Nelson stressed the importance of areas like the Texas Panhandle that are isolated from the rest of the state. She talked about the most significant concerns she hears from residents across the state.

“People want to know that their vote is counted and that elections are fair and accurate,” Nelson said. “One of my goals as secretary of state is to keep the temperature down. If people have concerns, they can always contact my office. I have faith in our election workers throughout the state. It is important to know how the system works and what they need to vote. It's important for voters to feel like the process works.”

Asked if she had seen any evidence of widespread voter fraud in the previous election, Nelson said she saw no evidence of it in the state.

Addressing the low voter participation rate in Texas compared to other states, Nelson emphasized the importance of instilling the importance of voting to the population well before they reach voting age.

“I think it starts when children are young to teach them the importance of voting,” Nelson said. “I am talking about children in middle school to junior high and beyond. It's important to talk to these kids. We need to speak to college-age kids and convince them that their vote counts and matters. Also, as people get older and have a busy life, we must remind them of the importance of their vote.

Nelson said she is encouraged by recent voting patterns in the state and will continue spreading her message across Texas. She urged anyone with any questions to go online to the website votetexas.gov., which includes essential information about voter ID requirements, election dates, mail-in voter requirements and a list of frequently asked questions. Questions can also be answered at 1-800-252-VOTE.

The last day to register to vote in the upcoming March 5 primary elections is Feb. 5, with Feb. 23 being the last day to request a mail-in ballot.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Texas secretary of state visits Amarillo during voter education tour