State of Texas Elections and Voting

Election Day is November 5

• October 7                    Deadline to register to vote
• October 21                  First day of early voting
• October 25                  Deadline to apply for an absentee vote by mail ballot
• November 1                 Last day of early voting
• November 5                Election Day
• November 6                Deadline for election authority to receive absentee vote by mail ballot at 5:00 p.m. if carrier envelope is postmarked by 7:00 p.m. at the location of the election on Election Day

To register to vote in Texas, you must:

• Be a United States citizen
• Be a resident of the county where you submit the application
• Be 18 years of age on Election Day
• Not be a convicted felon (you may be eligible to vote if you have completed your sentence, probation, and parole)
• Not have been declared by a court exercising probate jurisdiction to be either totally mentally incapacitated or partially mentally incapacitated without the right to vote

How to register to vote:

• Complete an application using the SOS ONLINE VOTER REGISTRATION APPLICATION. Simply fill in the required information, print, sign and mail the completed application directly to your county election office
• Request a PRINTED APPLICATION. Our office will mail a postage-paid voter registration application to the address provided
• Contact or visit your local VOTER REGISTRAR to complete the voter registration process.
• You can register to vote online when renewing, replacing or changing your contact information for either of these cards through the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS).

Voter ID Requirements

Under Texas law, voters who possess one of the following seven acceptable forms of photo ID,  that is no more than four years expired (if you are over 70, the ID can be expired for any length of time) must present that ID at the polls when voting in person:

• Texas Driver License issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)
• Texas Election Identification Certificate issued by DPS
• Texas Personal Identification Card issued by DPS
• Texas Handgun License issued by DPS
• United States Military Identification Card containing the person’s photograph
• United States Citizenship Certificate containing the person’s photograph
• United States Passport

Voters who do not possess and cannot reasonably obtain one of the seven approved forms of photo ID may fill out a Reasonable Impediment Declaration (RID) (PDF) at the polls and present one of the following alternative forms of ID:

• copy or original of a government document that shows the voter’s name and an address, including the voter’s voter registration certificate
• copy of or original current utility bill
• copy of or original bank statement
• copy of or original government check
• copy of or original paycheck
• copy of or original of (a) a certified domestic (from a U.S. state or territory) birth certificate or (b) a document confirming birth admissible in a court of law which establishes the voter’s identity (which may include a foreign birth document).

After presenting one of the forms of supporting ID listed above, the voter must execute a Reasonable Impediment Declaration.

Visit VoteRiders for more information on voter ID requirements in Texas.

Early Voting

You do not have to meet any special qualifications to vote early in person – if you are registered and qualified to vote on Election Day, you can also cast a ballot during the early voting period.

Absentee Voting

Voting by mail in Texas is limited to voters who are:

• 65 years of age or older on Election Day
• Sick or disabled
• Expecting to give birth within three weeks before or after Election Day
• Absent from the county of registration during the Early Voting period and on Election Day
• Confined in Jail or Involuntary Civil Commitment

You can get a formal application for a ballot by mail (ABBM) from:

• Download an application for a ballot by mail here (PDF)
• The Secretary of State’s office
• The Early Voting Clerk in your county

To vote by mail, you must provide ONE of the following numbers on your ABBM: (1) Texas Driver’s License, Texas Personal Identification Number or Election Identification Certificate Number issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (NOT your voter registration VUID number); OR (2) If you have not been issued one of the numbers above, the last 4 digits of your Social Security Number.

If you have not been issued a Texas Driver’s License, Texas Personal Identification Number or Texas Election Identification Certificate Number or a Social Security Number, you must indicate so by checking the appropriate box on the ABBM.

Address your application to the Early Voting Clerk. Applications mailed to an address other than the Early Voting Clerk may be rejected.

Resources

• Guide for Voter Registration Drives in Texas
• Become a Texas Election Worker!
• Native American Voting Rights (NAVRA)
• A Tribal Leaders Guide to Prepare for the Next Election
• Addressing: A Guide for Tribes
• Native Language Speakers Have Voting Rights!
• Examples of Voter Discrimination and Suppression in Indian Country
• Native Americans Depend on Ballot Collection