McAllen, TX (KRGV) — Early voting starts Oct. 19, 2026, and some people in the Rio Grande Valley will cast a ballot for the first time.

Leonardo Vasquez, a 19-year-old McAllen man, is one of those first-time voters. 

“It’s just something I always wanted to do,” Vasquez said.

Vasquez said he feels nervous about the process and worries about making a mistake at the polls. He said he does not want to end up in the wrong line or accidentally vote for someone he did not intend to choose.

Channel 5 News spoke with Hidalgo County Elections Administrator Hilda Salinas to explain what voters can expect.

Salinas said voters need to show one of seven accepted forms of identification, such as a Texas driver's license or state identification card. Election workers enter a voter's information on a tablet, then the voter verifies the information and signs before moving on.

Voters then make their selections on the machine. 

“We encourage every voter to review their ballot before they click submit,” Salinas said. “If there's something that's just quite not right and they need assistance, our election clerks are there to assist each and every voter to help them with the process.”

Once voters finish making their selections, the machine prints a paper ballot. Voters can check that paper before taking it to be scanned.

Officials recommend that anyone who wants to prepare ahead of time look at a sample ballot on the county's website.

Vasquez said he has some research to do before November, but he already has a message for other young voters.

“Vote. Please vote. It is our duty, and the young must vote,” Vasquez said.

The first day of early voting is Monday, Oct. 19. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Click here for other election resources.

Watch the video above for the full story.