Your Guide to Getting Midterm Ready

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Prism Health North Texas (PHNTX) does not support or oppose any candidate or party. Our Policy, Advocacy, and Community Engagement team’s goal is simple: Help more people vote so that everyone who needs healthcare can get the care they need.

How Midterms Can Shape Healthcare

The midterm elections will be coming up on November 3^rd, but what is a midterm election and why does it matter?

A midterm election occurs halfway through the presidential term. The president is not on the ballot, meaning voters are not choosing a president; however, all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and roughly one-third of the 50 Senate seats are up for reelection, plus other statewide offices including Governor and Attorney General.

The midterms are just as crucial as a general election, as our elected officials can directly affect the health and well-being of individuals in our community. Voting gives you a voice that can influence the issues that are important to you and to the mission of Prism Health North Texas, including: funding for community health centers and public-health programs, access to Medicaid, Medicare and other coverage programs, mental health and substance-use treatment, HIV prevention, and more.

Make Sure You’re Ready to Vote

Before you head to the polls, make sure you check your voter status – especially if you have recently moved, had a name change, or have not voted in a while. Recently, the Texas government has placed approximately 1.2 million people on the “suspense list,” which can restrict a person’s ability to vote if no action is taken.

In Texas, someone is placed on the voter “suspense list” when the county has reason to believe they may no longer live at the address on their voter-registration record.

Common triggers include:

• A voter-registration certificate or other official election mail is returned as undeliverable.
• The voter indicates on a jury summons that they have moved.
• Government or postal information suggests the voter’s address has changed.
• The listed address appears to be a commercial mailbox or another location that is not a residence.
• Someone files a sworn challenge questioning the voter’s residence.
• The county sends an address-confirmation notice and the voter does not respond.

It can also happen because of an ordinary mail problem—an apartment number was missing, mail was incorrectly returned, or the voter moved within the same county and simply forgot to update the registration. The Texas Secretary of State specifically says a voter should be removed from suspense if the original mail was returned because of a postal, address-reclassification, or county clerical error. Texas Secretary of State guidance

Most importantly, “suspense” does not mean the person is no longer registered or cannot vote. It means the county needs confirmation of the voter’s residential address. The voter can:

• Update the address through the state’s voter-registration update portal, or
• Fill out a registration application and submit it to a Voter Deputy Registrar or by mailing it to your county’s election office

If you couldn’t update your address before the Oct. 5^th deadline, you still may be able to vote. If you moved within the same county, you can vote during early voting and on Election Day by filling out a statement of residence form to update your residence information. If you do nothing and do not confirm the address by voting or responding through two federal general-election cycles, your registration can eventually be canceled. So, in plain language: suspense status is primarily an address-verification flag, not a finding that someone is ineligible to vote.

In short, if you have recently moved and no longer live at the address you had on your voter ID card, you may be on the list.

Know the Dates. Make a Plan.

Make sure you know your voter status even if you’ve voted before; make a voting plan, and invite your friends and family to do the same! It’s never too late to let your voice be heard.  Mark your calendars:

• October 5: Voter registration deadline.
• October 19 – 30: Early voting period.
• November 3: Midterm election day.

You can look up polling locations and times near you at votetexas.gov. Happy voting!