As new San Antonio residents arrive, it's important to get them to update their voter registration form

When new neighbors move in, many of us provide an informal Welcome Wagon with a small gift like cookies or a bottle of wine. Yet, almost of us forget the need to encourage our new neighbors to register to vote.

Despite having some families with 10 generations living in San Antonio, there are a lot of newcomers who are coming here for a new job or retiring from the military. Many have not registered to vote. With the upcoming March primary, only 74 days away, I am asking my supporters to get their friends and colleagues who have moved to go to the Bexar County web site to get the form. According to the Bexar County voting web site, voters who want to update their voter's registration have until Feb. 2 to vote in the primary. For those who want to vote early, they would need to complete their registration form by Jan. 15.

I believe that if my supporters ask their friends, loved ones and people they meet at their local church, youth sports league or other community venue to register to vote that they would accept a voter's registration form. Just as important as getting our new arrivals to register to vote is the need to have them vote either in the early voting period or on March 2.