The deadline to register to vote for November’s midterm elections passed Monday, and Dallas County made a final push with a drive-thru registration event that let residents sign up without leaving their cars. Election officials stressed the same message they repeat every cycle: their job is to get people registered, never to tell them how to vote.

The longer trend is hard to miss. Texas had roughly 15.8 million registered voters before the 2018 election. By the 2024 presidential race, that figure reached a record 18.6 million, an increase of nearly three million voters in six years. The Secretary of State’s Office says the state now has close to 19 million registered voters and expects to pass that milestone heading into November.

One detail worth knowing: official statewide registration totals won’t be finalized until about a week after the deadline, so the exact number could shift. If you registered in time, you’re in the system. If you missed the window, there will be another one down the road, and local election offices can answer questions about eligibility in the meantime. Did you confirm your registration before Monday, or are you planning to double-check it anyway?