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(CNN Spanish) --
The race for the midterm elections in the United States advances, as well as the deadlines to register and exercise your right to vote.
Here is a guide to the requirements and deadlines in five states with a strong Hispanic presence: Arizona, California, Florida, New Mexico, New York and Texas.
Each state sets its own rules for the electoral process, so the way and deadlines to register and vote in the November 8 elections depend on where you live.
One of the key differences is the deadline for in-person registration.
In California and New Mexico, for example, you can do so up to and including Election Day, while in Arizona, Florida and Texas the limit is set in October.
There are also variations in the mechanisms available: Texas does not allow online registration, while the other four key states do.
In all cases you can register by mail or in person.
In all cases, the application includes providing the information from one of your documents, for example, the driver's license, the state identification card or the Social Security number.
Each state may differ in the details of the documents.
Requirements to vote in the midterm elections
In general terms, there are five requirements that you must meet in order to vote this November: be a US citizen, reside in the state in which you want to register, have reached the age of 18 on election day, not be serving a jail sentence for a crime and not have been declared mentally incompetent to vote by a court.
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If you meet these requirements, you must complete a registration application in the time provided by the electoral regulations of each state and, once approved, you have the certainty that you will be able to cast your vote.
California
You can register online through this page.
You can get a paper registration application at your county elections office, a Department of Motor Vehicles office, and many post offices, government offices, and public libraries, or have one mailed to you, for which you must call your county elections office or toll-free (800) 345-VOTE (8683).
Having the paper application allows you to register by mail or in person.
To enroll you must have your driver's license or ID card number and the last four digits of your Social Security number.
If you are 16 or 17 years old and you meet the other requirements, you can make a pre-registration that will be updated automatically when you turn 18.
Deadlines for registration in California
For online registration, the deadline is Monday, October 24.
For registration by mail, it must be postmarked prior to that day.
Registration in person can be done until Election Day, that is, Tuesday, November 8.
You can confirm the status of your registration on this page.
Florida
You can register online through this page.
You can download the application to fill out and submit by mail or in person here.
New applicants must provide a current and valid state-issued driver's license or Florida ID number.
If you don't have any of those documents, you can do so with the last four digits of your Social Security number.
Deadlines for registration in Florida
The deadline to register in Florida is October 11, whether you do it online or in person.
If you register by mail, it must be postmarked prior to that day.
You can confirm the status of your registration on this page.
New York
You can register online through this page.
You can download the application to fill out and mail here.
You can register in person at your county board of elections or at a state agency-based registration center.
To register you will need your state DMV-issued driver's license, permit or non-driver ID, the zip code currently on file with the DMV, and the last 4 digits of your Social Security number
Deadlines for registration in New York
The deadline to register in New York is October 14, whether you do it online or in person.
If you register by mail, it must be postmarked prior to that day.
You can confirm the status of your registration on this page.
Texas
In Texas, online registration is currently not available, so you must register by mail or in person.
You can access the application here or request that they send you a printed one through this link.
When you have it, you must sign it and send it directly to your electoral office.
Unlike what happens in California and Florida, where you can already pre-register at 16, in Texas you are required to be at least 17 years and 10 months old on the date you submit your registration application and that you have turned 18 to on election day.
Deadlines for registration in Texas
The deadline for in-person registration is October 11.
If you register by mail, the stamp must be prior to that day.
You can confirm the status of your registration on this page.
Arizona
You can register online through this page.
You can download an application through this link or ask the county to send it to you and mail it to the county recorder's office.
You can complete the application in person at that office.
To process the application, the state asks for your driver's license information or state identification card number.
If you don't have either, the system asks you to enter your social security number.
Deadlines for Registration in Arizona
The deadline for online and in-person registration is October 11.
If you register by mail, the stamp must be prior to that day.
New Mexico
You can register online through this page.
You can also get a form online to send to the New Mexico Secretary of State's Office or your local County Clerk's Office.
Deadlines for registration in New Mexico
You can register online until October 11.
If you do it by mail, the postmark must be prior to that day.
In-person registration, meanwhile, can be done until the election date, Tuesday, November 8.
You can confirm the status of your registration on this page.
Important: completing the application is the first step
In all cases, remember that completing the application does not imply that you are registered, the process is not automatic.
The local offices review the information, so you should wait for a communication confirming that the registration was completed successfully.
It is also possible that you will be contacted to request additional information or that, if you do not meet the requirements, your registration request will be denied.