BELL COUNTY, Texas — Bell County added 15,684 new voters since March 2022, bringing its total registered voter count to 234,576, according to the Texas Secretary of State. With the midterms seven weeks away, residents are making sure they are on the voter rolls or registering for the first time.
For first-time voter Ze'ev Davis, turning 18 came with one perk that stood out above the rest: the ability to vote. A member of the Bell County Young Democrats, Davis said he has seen firsthand how much a single vote can matter.
"I swear this one really close election in San Angelo where this kind of unpopular county commissioner won his re-election bid by one vote," Davis said.
Officials say there are several ways to check your registration status. Voters can go online at votetexas.gov or call their local elections office.
Bell County Public Information Officer James Stafford said the registration process is more welcoming than many people expect.
"People think, like, oh, it's bureaucracy; it's going to be hard to register like they are so happy. It like going to the library; they are just excited you want to library card; they are not going to make it hard; they want you to vote, so it's great," Stafford said.
Officials also recommend registering with both a driver's license and a Social Security number to avoid complications down the road.
"So if you registered to vote with your Social Security and then you want a ballot by mail, and you use your driver's license, it won't work. So if you register to vote with both, you can't go wrong," Stafford said.
Bell County volunteer voting registrar Emmanuel Perez said local races make midterm participation especially important.
"Some of those elections are going to be the most local. Your city elections, your county elections, your state elections. It's the local election that matters the most and will affect you the most," Perez said.
Davis echoed that message, urging every eligible voter to participate.
"Texas is right now is a purple state; it's really competitive, so make everyone should go in and vote this election," Davis said.
Bell County officials say the last day to register to vote is Oct. 5. Early voting begins Oct. 19.
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