Texas
Am I eligible to vote in Texas?
To be eligible to vote in Texas, you must be:
A citizen of the United States of America
A legal resident of Texas and the precinct in which you are registered to vote
18 years of age by or on election day (you can pre-register to vote if you are 17 years and 10 months old)
However, you cannot vote in Texas if you:
Are a felon (voting rights can be restored once a felon completes their sentence, parole, and probation)
Have been declared by a court to be fully or partially mentally incompetent
When is Texas’ voter registration deadline?
By Mail: October 7, 2024
In-person: October 7, 2024
How do I request an absentee ballot in Texas?
The state of Texas does not have traditional absentee ballots. Absentee voting in Texas is known as “early voting by mail." You can only vote absentee if you fall into one or more of four categories:
You are over 65 years of age on Election Day
You are currently in jail
You are sick and/or disabled
You will be away from your county on election day and during the early, in-person voting period
If you are eligible for early voting by mail, you can request a “formal application for a ballot by mail" from the Secretary of State's office or your local Early Voting Clerk. You can also download the application form from the official Texas voting website.
Once you have filled out and submitted your early voting ballot application form and have been approved by the relevant voting authorities, you will be sent a mail-in ballot, which you can then fill out and submit to your local County Clerk.
The mail-in voting process in Texas can be involved and potentially confusing. If you have additional questions about mail-in voting, the Texas early voting webpage is a valuable resource. Additionally, you can always contact your local county clerk.
What do I need to bring to the polls in Texas?
If you are already registered to vote, you must bring one of seven forms of personal identification to the polls in order to cast your ballot. These forms of ID include:
Texas Voter Registration Certificate
Texas Personal Identification Card
Texas Driver's License
Texas Handgun License
U.S. Passport
U.S. Citizenship Certificate with Photo
U.S. Military ID Card with Photo
If you do not have one of these seven documents and cannot reasonably acquire one soon, you can fill out a Reasonable Impediment Declaration form at the polls and then use a supporting document to prove your identity. Some supporting documents include:
Birth Certificate
Current Utility Bill or Bank Statement
Paycheck
Government ID (must have your name and address)
What special accommodations are available?
Voters with disabilities have many options for voting in Texas. If you are disabled, you can vote by mail or at the polls. Polling places are also required to have some type of accessible voting equipment. Additionally, election workers will help you fill out your ballot upon request.
It is worth noting that you do not need to be disabled to get help at the polls. If you need help at a polling place, whether it be reading a ballot, understanding ballot language, etc., an election worker should be able to provide assistance. However, a person cannot help you at the polls if they are your employer, an agent of your employer, or a union representative.
If you are unsure what accommodations you need, you may want to visit Vote Texas.gov's page on voters with special needs.
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November 5, 2024 - General Election
