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Just a reminder that Friday, October 31, is the last day of early voting in Texas. And don't make the mistake I did and assume you know where your closest polling location is. There have been some changes in early voting locations. You can check with your county clerk, or hit Google to find your location options. For Harris County, you can view locations in a PDF file here.

I've been using the same early voting location since 2001. So Monday I scheduled lunchtime around the short trip to go vote. Oops. It's an early voting location no more. My closest location is now twice as far away. I had to skip Monday and make the drive Tuesday at noon in the opposite direction. Not happy about this change, but it is what it is.

But I still appreciate and will always exercise my ability to vote early. Things happen--I could get hit by the proverbial bus--and I don't want to be dependent upon the narrow time window of a single day to get my vote counted.

A Gallup poll published Wednesday--from data obtained September 25 through 30--shows that voter turnout for the 2014 midterm elections will likely be lower than in the 2010 and 2006 midterms; that voter engagement is more similar to 1998 and 2002 than to 2006 and 2010:

http://www.gallup.com/poll/178130/voter ... terms.aspx

Clearly they didn't poll me, but the respondent numbers show that 32% are "extremely motivated to vote" this fall compared to 50% in 2010 and 45% in 2006. Asked if they've given a lot of thought or even some thought to this midterm election, 33% said yes compared to 46% and 42% in the prior two midterms.

Gallup Politics wrote:Although the current political environment in many respects is more similar to the anger and frustration that led to higher voter turnout in 2006 and 2010 than to the generally content electorates that voted at lower rates in 1998 and 2002, Gallup's key indicators point to voter turnout that more closely approaches the latter elections than the former. The key to explaining that may lie in the current divided party control of Congress, with voters having no clear way to act on their frustrations with the state of the nation and the government. With little hope of 2014 being a "change" election -- even if Republicans win the Senate, the GOP-controlled Congress will have to contend with a Democratic president -- more Americans appear to be willing to sit out this fall's elections than was the case in the previous two midterm election years.

We can't afford to "be willing to sit out this fall's elections." With two more years of this presidential administration, it's critical that the Democrats control neither the House or the Senate.

Please encourage your family, friends, and acquaintances to vote this fall.

Historically, liberal voters turn out in lower numbers in non-presidential years. But this November is critical to us, and to helping ensure our Second Amendment rights.

On the federal front, we not only have the opportunity to retain control of the House, but to send liberal mouthpiece Harry Reid packing and to take control of the Senate. In Texas, we can deliver a massive defeat to the "Turn Texas Blue" campaign and let Wendy Davis know that she has no chance...now or ever.

If liberal voters turn out in low numbers, let's make sure that we turn out in record numbers for the November 4th General Election. Please confirm with everyone you know that they intend to vote.

Register: If you need to register, your application must be received in the Voter Registrar's office or postmarked at least 30 days before an election for you to be eligible to vote in that election. For the 2014 General Election that postmark deadline is October 6, 2014.

Early Voting: This year, early voting begins Monday, October 20, 2014. Early voting ends Friday, October 31, 2014. There is no comprehensive source of early voting locations. Google "texas early voting locations [your county]".

Polls are open at varying times during early voting and from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. on election day, November 4.

Let's do this.