Tyler, TX – Nine events were held across the city on National Voter Registration Day, Monday, September 14, 2026, to encourage and assist students and the public in registering to vote. The voter registration deadline for the general election on November 3 is October 5. Early voting for the election will take place from October 19 to October 30.
Smith County Volunteer Deputy Registrars, in collaboration with various local organizations, facilitated these registration efforts. Participating groups included Este Poder, Gamma Omicron Omega Chapter, the League of Women Voters, Upsilon Epsilon Chapter, Alpha Tau Chapter, and Hispanos Unidos. These partnerships aimed to help community members register and to educate individuals on the importance of civic participation.
The events were hosted at several key locations throughout Tyler, including The University of Texas at Tyler, Texas College, and Tyler Junior College. Other sites included Velvet Vintage, Blue Bird Antique Mall & Treasure Shoppe, the voter registration outreach building managed by Paulina Pedroza Smith County Community Liaison, Super 1 Foods, and Las Tres Reinas Restaurant. Este Poder, an East Texas nonprofit focused on empowering and educating rural communities of color in civic life, visited multiple sites to encourage student registration throughout the day.
Melida Medina, a volunteer with Este Poder, noted the importance of reaching younger voters. “I think sometimes when we’re young, we don’t know how the process works, so it’s important to be able to educate them about the process and make it easy and accessible to them,” Medina stated. She also highlighted the impact of policy, explaining that as a child therapist, she sees “how policies are affecting our kids,” which motivates her involvement in voter registration.
Data from the Civics Center indicates that as of April 22, only 40% of 18-year-olds in Smith County are registered to vote, despite approximately 3,000 people turning 18 in the county each year. This contrasts sharply with 86% of Smith County citizens aged 45 or older who are registered. Medina observed that many students and young people are unaware of how to register, and the process in Texas can be more restrictive than in other states. She also pointed out that students living on campus may lack transportation to official registration sites.
To register to vote in Texas, an individual must be a U.S. citizen, at least 17 years and 10 months old, not a convicted felon (unless their sentence, including probation or parole, is completed), and not declared mentally incapacitated by a court of law. Registration becomes effective 30 days after it is received or on the individual’s 18th birthday, whichever occurs later. All citizens must register 30 days before the main election date.
Citizens can check if they are already registered or if their registration is active by contacting the Smith County Registration office at 903-590-4777, emailing [email protected], or visiting in person. If a registered citizen has changed their name or moved within the same county since last voting, they can update their information online. Moving to a different county requires re-registration in the new county.
First-time registrants in Texas can register in person at the Smith County Elections Administration Office located at 302 East Ferguson Street, or at a voter registration event. Mail-in applications can be downloaded and printed or requested to be mailed to a home address, then submitted by mail. College students have the option to register in Smith County or in their hometown.
Emily Pinal, co-founder and co-executive director of Este Poder, said that common questions at registration events include whether online registration is permitted in Texas—which it is not, as Texas is one of seven states that does not allow for it—and clarifications regarding felons’ eligibility to register. Medina emphasized that the registration process is straightforward, noting, “It literally just takes two to three minutes and you just fill out the paperwork and sign off on it.” She expressed encouragement at the interest shown by young people at these events, indicating they want their voices to be heard.
For more information on voter registration or current elections in Smith County, residents can visit the Smith County government website.
