Citizens have entered the final stretch of days to register to vote ahead of the Jan. 31 voter registration deadline for the March 1, Texas Primary Elections.

Austin County Elections Official Kim Rinn encourages residents who are not yet registered to complete their voter registration applications soon to ensure their ability to vote in the upcoming primaries.

“There are multiple places that you can acquire those applications. I suggest going online, that’s probably going to be the fastest,” said Rinn in a Jan. 19 interview. “Then you would print out that application and submit it to us (at the Austin County Tax Office, 804 E. Wendt Street in Bellville). You can request us to send you an application, we would be happy to accommodate that, or you can come in in-person and fill out an application.”

Voters can apply for a ballot by mail between Jan. 1 and Feb. 18. Early voting by personal appearance will be held from Feb. 14 through Feb. 25.

Visit austincounty. com/page/austin.elections for sample ballots, portals to access candidate information and other helpful information. Visit votetexas.gov to check your voter registration status, locate polling locations, access an online voter registration application and more.

“You should always vote whether it be a Primary, a Special Amendment Election, or a Presidential Election,” said Rinn. “Being able to vote is a privilege, and that’s not something that we should take lightly.”