East Texas counties see increased voter registration

TYLER, Texas ( KETK ) – East Texas election administrators are starting to report an increase in registered voters ahead of the general election in November.

Local election administrators are inputting the last batch of voter registration applications for the 2024 election year. According the secretary of state, Cherokee and Angelina counties are seeing the most voters in their counties’ history.

“We currently have 31,191 voters and in 2020 we had about 29,000 registered voters. I think just as Cherokee county grows and people move to this area, we just have an increase in voters as well,” said Kandace Herring, Cherokee County election administrator.

In Deep East Texas, Angelina County’s registration numbers increased from 53,166 applications in 2020 to 55,980 applications in 2024.

“We’ve got 29,356 female voters and 25,582 male voters,” said Terri Jordan, Angelina County election administrator.

Jordan said that historically, their numbers jump when its time to vote for a president.

“From the cut off deadline with everyone coming in, they were saying this is an important election. We need to get out and vote in. It’s our federal races that most of them are wanting to voice their opinion on,” Jordan said.

After the signing of Senate Bill One in 2021, counties began assessing the status of registered voters.

“5,462 that had been purged from the rolls. The majority of our purges, are the deceased, or it was a mass purge,” said Jordan.

Both counties are noticing some increase in young voters.

“I think that they’re really excited and that, you know, they’re turning 18 right before this very large election. This is their first one and I think they’re really excited,” Herring said.

Jordan and Herring agree that this is the first step, but what will count is casting your ballot at the polls.  Early voting begins October 21st and General election is November 5th.

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