Texas

Election Day: Polls are open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time on Election Day

Early Voting: Texas has early in-person voting and early voting by mail.  

• Early In-Person Voting: Any registered voter is eligible for early in-person voting. Early in-person voting poll hours vary by location.
• Early Voting By Mail: Only certain voters are eligible for early voting by mail. 
• The dates and hours that Early Voting polling places are open will vary based on where the voter lives. The locations and times of Early Voting polling places may be found by looking up the voter’s registration record at https://teamrv-mvp.sos.texas.gov/MVP/mvp.do (there will usually be links on the right next to the voter’s registration record) or going to the county election website.

For more information, see “Voting Early & by Mail-In Ballot.”

A voter’s polling location can be found with the voter’s registration record (https://teamrv-mvp.sos.texas.gov/MVP/mvp.do), there will usually be links on the right next to the voter’s registration record. A voter’s polling location can also be found on the county election website. 

Note: All voters in Texas can vote at any location in their county during early vote, and a voter in a “countywide voting” county can vote at any location in that county on Election Day. A list of the counties who are using countywide voting is available at this link: countywide-polling-place-program

Have questions or need more information? Call 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683)!

Registration Deadlines

• The voter registration deadline for the Texas House District 2 Special Election is Received by Tue Oct 10, 2023.

How to Check Your Registration: Voters can determine whether they are registered to vote at the following link: Am I Registered?.

You are eligible to vote in Texas if you:

• Are a U.S. citizen
• You are a resident of the county where you submit the application
• Are at least 18 years old by Election Day

You are NOT eligible to vote in Texas if:

• You have been declared by a judge to be mentally incapacitated without the right to vote
• You are currently serving a sentence including incarceration, parole, probation, or extended supervision for a felony conviction

Restorative Requirements

• If you have completed a felony sentence, including any term of incarceration, parole, supervision, period of probation, or you have been pardoned, then you are immediately eligible to register to vote

You may preregister to vote in Texas

• as of 2 months prior to your 18th birthday

How to register 

• Texas House District 2 Special Election
  • Submit an Application: Received by Tue Oct 10, 2023

Texas residents may register by mail, in-person, or by fax. Voters cannot register to vote online. The registration deadline for the 2022 General Election is (postmarked by) October 11, 2022.

Register to Vote: Register by Mail or Fax: To register by mail, you can obtain a voter registration application form by one of the following ways:

• Download, print, and sign a voter registration form from the Texas Secretary of State’s online application;
• Request a form from your local election office (the county Voter Registrar’s Office);
• Pick up an application from libraries, government offices, post offices, Texas Department of Public Safety offices, Texas Health and Human Services Commission offices, or high schools;
• Request a postage-paid application to be sent to you by mail from the Texas Secretary of State’s registration form request website; or
• If you are an eligible Texas high school student (in either public or private school), high school principals (or their designee) are required by law to distribute voter registration forms to students on a semi-annual basis. These applications may be collected and delivered by the principal (or his or her designee) or delivered by the student, by mail or in-person, to the county Voter Registrar’s Office. If your high school is not distributing voter registration forms, call the Texas Secretary of State’s office at (800) 252-VOTE.

You must mail the completed and signed voter registration application to your local Voter Registrar’s Office.

If registering by fax, a copy must ALSO be submitted by mail and received no later than four business days after the faxed version is received.

Register to Vote: Register In-Person

• You may register to vote in-person by filling out or delivering a completed and signed application at your Voter Registrar’s Office or with a Volunteer Deputy Registrar

Identification Required for Registration:

Voters should provide one of the following when registering to vote: 

• Texas driver’s license number; or
• Texas personal identification number. 

If the voter does not the above identification, the voter must provide:

• The last four digits of their social security number or
• A statement by the voter saying that they do not have a social security number.  

Voters must provide a form of identification at the polls on Election Day.

If the voter moved within the same county where they are currently registered, the voter must file the new address information in writing with the county voter registrar OR submit the “in county” change online. The last day to make a change of address that will be effective for the November 8, 2022 Election is (postmarked by) October 11, 2022. 

However, a voter may return to their old precinct to vote, if they still live in the political subdivision holding the election. and, at that location, complete a “statement of residence” confirming their new address. This will update their registration information for the future. The voter will then be allowed to vote a regular ballot if they are otherwise eligible.

Note: For Early Voting, and for Election Day if the voter lives in a county that uses “countywide polling,” they can vote at any precinct in that county and don’t have to return to a particular one. Check for “countywide polling” at this website: https://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/laws/countywide-polling-place-program.shtml.

Texas does not have any specific rules for a temporary move. If a voter’s principal residence hasn’t changed but they are unable to vote in-person in that precinct, the voter may be eligible to vote an absentee/mail-in ballot. 
Detailed information for voters temporarily displaced by natural disasters is available at: Displaced by Disaster

Have questions or need more information? Call 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683)!

If You Want to Vote Absentee, requests may be made:

• By Mail
• By Fax
• By Email

Absentee Ballots may be returned:

• In-Person
• By Mail

Texas House District 2 Special Election

Ballot Request:

• Received by Fri Oct 27, 2023

Ballot Return:

• Postmarked On or Before Election Day and Received by Wed Nov 8, 2023 5:00PM CST
• In-Person, Received by Tue Nov 7, 2023 7:00PM CST

Voting Early

If You Want to Vote Early In-Person

• Early In-Person Voting: Any registered voter is eligible for Early Voting in-person.  A voter can find their Early Voting location by checking the Texas Secretary of State’s website or by contacting the Early Voting Clerk in the voter’s county. Polling hours vary for each Early Voting location. The locations and times of Early Voting polling places for the voter’s specific county may be found by looking up the voter’s registration record at https://teamrv-mvp.sos.texas.gov/MVP/mvp.do (there will usually be links on the right next to the voter’s registration record) or going to the county election website.

If You Want to Vote Early Using a Mail-In Ballot 

You may only cast a mail-in ballot if:

• You will be away from your county on Election Day and during Early Voting;
• You have a sickness or disability that prevents you from appearing at the polling place on election day without a likelihood of needing personal assistance or of injuring your health (including bedrest for pregnancy); 
• You are expected to give birth within three weeks before or after Election Day;
• You are 65 years of age or older on Election Day; 
• You are confined in jail, but eligible to vote. Voters who are confined in jail can vote if the voter is:

• serving a misdemeanor sentence for a term that ends on or after election day;
• pending trial after denial of bail;
• without bail pending an appeal of a felony conviction; or
• pending trial or appeal on a bailable offense for which release on bail before election day is unlikely.

* Concern about COVID-19 alone does not qualify.

A voter wanting to vote early by mail must submit an application to their county’s Early Voting Clerk by mail, carrier, fax, or e-mail no later than eleven days before the election.

The official application for Early Voting by mail is available at the Texas Secretary of State’s website.

Voting by Mail
Obtaining a Mail-in Ballot Application

A voter can obtain a mail-in ballot application on the Secretary of State Division of Elections website (http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/forms/), at the Secretary of State’s office (Texas Secretary of State P.O. Box 12887 Austin, TX 78711-2887), at a county election office (https://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/voter/county.shtml), or, in some counties, on the website of the county election office.

Submitting a Mail-in Ballot Application

Voters may submit their application for a mail-in ballot by:

• Regular mail; 
• Common or contract carrier (FedEx/UPS, etc.); 
• Faxing a scanned application (with original signature, no e-signature);
  • New: Voters sending by fax MUST also mail the application to their local election office, who must receive it within four business days of the fax being received.
• Emailing a signed application (with original signature); or
  • New: Voters sending by email MUST also mail the application to their local election office, who must receive it within four business days of the e-mail.
• Personal delivery, by the voter themselves.

Voters must include one of the following IDs that is associated with their voter registration record:

• Texas Driver’s License Number or
• Texas Personal Identification Number or
• Election Identification Number (not the VUID)

If a voter has none of the above, they must provide the last 4 digits of their Social Security Number. 

If a voter has been issued one of the numbers above, but it has not been associated with their voter registration, they must contact the local registrar to learn how to add it.

If a voter has not been issued any of the required numbers, they should check that box.

Delivery of Completed Mail-in Ballots: 

Voters’ mail-in ballot must be received by their Early Voting Clerk by the time the polls close on Election Day (generally 7:00 PM), if not postmarked. If postmarked by 7 p.m. on Election Day, the mail-in ballot must be received by 5 p.m. the day after the election.

Voter Registration

To register to vote in Texas you should provide:

• Your Texas Driver’s License or State non-driver ID Number

If you do not have these IDs, you may provide:

• Last Four Digits of your Social Security Number

If you do not have a Texas Driver’s License, Texas ID or Social Security number and need help getting ID, go to www.voteriders.org

Voting In-Person

In Texas, you need to show a valid ID to vote. You can use any ID from this list:

• Texas Election Identification Certificate
• Valid Texas Voter ID Card with Photo
• Citizenship Certificate with photo
• Valid Military ID
• Valid Texas Driver’s License
• License to Carry Concealed Weapon or Firearm
• Valid US Passport
• Texas Personal ID

With the exception of citizenship certificate, ID must be current or have expired no more than four years prior to Election Day. If you do not have one of the Texas valid IDs and need help getting ID, go to www.voteriders.org.

If you do not have an ID from the above list, in Texas additional, acceptable forms of ID include:

• Voter Registration Card
• Current Utility Bill or Pay Check or Bank Statement
• Government Check
• Birth Certificate

To use these supporting forms of ID, you will be required to execute a Reasonable Impediment Declaration.

Voter Registration

Identification is not absolutely required to register to vote. However, people who have one of the following must provide it: a Texas driver’s license number or Texas Personal I.D. number, or, lacking those forms of ID, the last four digits of a social security number. People who do not have any of these three types of information must check a box stating that they do not have a license number, a personal identification number, or social security number.

In-Person Voting

A voter who has one of the following forms of photo identification must present it at the polling place in order to vote:

• Texas Driver’s License issued by Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS);
• Texas Personal Identification Card issued by DPS;
• Texas Election Identification Certificate issued by DPS;
• Texas Handgun License issued by DPS;
• US Military Identification Card with photo;
• US Citizenship Certificate with photo; or
• US Passport (book or card).

If you cannot reasonably obtain the forms of identification listed above, you may provide a signed document (under oath) stating your reasonable impediment to obtaining photo ID, and present the following: 

• A government document that shows your name and an address, including your voter registration certificate;
• One of the following showing the voter’s name and address:
  • A copy of a current utility bill; 
  • A bank statement; 
  • A government check; 
  • A paycheck; or
• A certified copy of a domestic birth certificate or other legally admissible document confirming birth and establishing the person’s identity.

If you have an ID or one of the above alternatives, you will receive a regular ballot. If you have an acceptable ID but have not brought it, you may vote provisionally. You will then have six (6) days to present a photo ID listed above to the county voter registrar. You can also receive a provisional ballot based on a natural disaster (as declared by the president or the governor) or religious objection to being photographed affidavit.
Election Identification Certificates (EIC) are available from DPS driver license offices during regular business hours.

While election officials may ask a voter if they have an acceptable photo ID, election officials cannot question or challenge the voter concerning their lack of that ID. Election officials cannot question the reasonableness of the voter’s difficulty in obtaining photo ID.

Voting by Mail

The same ID requirements apply for an application for a mail-in ballot and to complete the mail-in ballot.

Voting by mail requires one of the following IDs or a statement that the voter does not have one:

• a Texas driver’s license number
• Texas Personal I.D. number
• TX Election identification Certificate number (not the VUID) 
• If the voter does not have the above, the last four digits of a social security number. 

People who do not have any of these types of identification must check a box stating that they do not have one. 

The ID used to vote by mail must match the one the voter used to register to vote. If the voter is uncertain which ID they used to register, we suggest including information for one TX ID plus their social security number.

Expired ID

Except for the U.S. citizenship certificate (which does not expire), the identification must be current or have expired within the past four years. Voters aged 70 or older may use an expired ID listed above regardless of how long it’s been expired, if the identification is otherwise valid.

Provisional Ballots

A voter may cast a provisional ballot if they do not have the proper form of ID. Before receiving the provisional ballot, the voter must complete an affidavit stating that they are eligible to vote in that precinct. If a voter casts a provisional ballot because they do not have the required identification, an election officer must give the voter written information explaining the procedure the voter must follow to have their vote counted. After the election, the Early Voting ballot board will determine whether the provisional ballot will be counted.

Voters should update their registration address on the Texas Secretary of State Voter Registrar website by the registration deadline. The last day to make a change of address that will be effective for the following election is 30 days before the election date. 

If You Moved within the Same County

If you have not updated your address, but moved within the same county and same voting precinct, you may still cast a regular ballot by following two steps:

• Vote at the precinct associated with your old or new address (it will be the same); and
• At the voting precinct, submit a “statement of residence” to the election officer confirming their new address.

If You Moved to a New County

If you have moved to a different county, you must re-register to vote in your new county. If you have not re-registered in your new county by the registration deadline (postmarked by October 11, 2022), you cannot cast a regular ballot on Election Day. There is a Limited Ballot Option offered during the Early Voting period only. During Early Voting, you can cast a limited ballot in the new county’s main Early Voting polling location, but can only vote on the candidates and measures that are common between your old and new county. If you moved from another state or county in the last 30 days and were registered there, you may vote in the old state or county for President and Vice President only. 

Temporary Move

Texas does not have any specific rules for a temporary move. If a voter’s principal residence hasn’t changed but they are unable to vote in-person in that precinct, the voter may be eligible to vote an absentee/mail-in ballot. 

Detailed information for voters temporarily displaced by natural disasters is available at: Displaced by Disaster

Note: For Early Voting, and for Election Day if the voter lives in a county that uses “countywide polling,” they can vote at any precinct in that county and don’t have to return to a particular one. Check for “countywide polling” here: (https://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/laws/countywide-polling-place-program.shtml). 

Voting Military

Service members and their dependents may register and request a ballot using the federal voter registration/ballot request form (“FPCA”). You will have the following identification options when completing the form:

• U.S. State or Territory or District Issued ID
• Option to Indicate that you do not have the Requested ID
• Last 4 Digits of your Social Security Number

Voting Overseas

U.S. citizens living overseas may register and request a ballot using the overseas voter registration/ballot request form. You will have the following identification options when completing the form:

• U.S. State or Territory or District Issued ID
• Option to Indicate that you do not have the Requested ID
• Last 4 Digits of your Social Security Number

Military and other overseas citizens may use the standard procedure for absentee voting by mail, but there are also special provisions for members of the U.S. Armed Forces and merchant marine, commissioned corps of the Public Health Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, along with family members of all these groups, and other citizens who reside outside the United States (together these groups are called UOCAVA voters).

Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot
The Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB) is a back-up ballot that can be used by UOCAVA voters.  You can use this FWAB whether you are located inside or outside the United States (including APO and FPO addresses), provided you are away from your voting residence for service-related activities.  You must apply for a regular ballot early enough for your local election officials to receive the request at least 11 days before the election.  If you do not receive your regular ballot in time, you may use the FWAB.  The FWAB must be received by the local voting officials in Texas no later than 7 p.m. on Election Day.  For specific instructions, visit the FVAP’s Texas-specific FVAP page.

Registering and Requesting a Mail-In Ballot

In Texas, voters must request (apply for) a mail-in ballot for each election in order to receive one.

Exception: Voters aged 65 or older and disabled voters may make a single request (application) for mail-in ballots for all elections in a calendar year.

Obtain a mail-in ballot application on the Secretary of State Division of Elections website (http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/forms/), at the Secretary of State’s office (Texas Secretary of State P.O. Box 12887 Austin, TX 78711-2887), at a county election office (https://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/voter/county.shtml), or, in some counties, on the website of the county election office.

Military voters can use the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) to register to vote and to request a mail-in ballot. The application should be submitted by 11 days before the election 

Other voters may also get step-by-step assistance and forms at FVAP’s website or Texas Secretary of State’s military or overseas voters page.

Returning a Mail-In Ballot

How to Return Mail-in ballot to Early Voting Clerk:

• Hard copy by mail, or common or contract courier (e.g., FedEx or UPS).
• Military voters (including spouses and dependents) in hostile fire pay / imminent danger pay / combat zone, may fax their ballot using authorized channels.
• Marked ballots may not be e-mailed under Texas law, regardless of voter’s status.

Deadline to Return Mail-in Ballot:

• Regular deadline: the Early Voting Clerk must receive your marked ballot by 7:00 p.m. on Election Day.
• Deadline for voters voting from overseas location: the Early Voting Clerk must receive your marked ballot by the 5th day after the election (and must be postmarked by 7:00 pm on Election Day).
• Deadline for military voters (including spouses or dependents): the Early Voting Clerk must receive your marked ballot by the 6th day after the election (and must be postmarked by 7:00 pm on Election Day).

You can track the progress of your FPCA ballot here.

Felony

If a voter has been convicted of a felony (and there is no appeal pending), they cannot vote in Texas unless they have fully discharged their sentence (including any term of incarceration, parole, probation, or supervision) or have been pardoned.  However, if they have been charged with—but not convicted of—a felony, they may vote if they are otherwise eligible and register to vote. Once a voter has fully discharged their sentence, their right to vote is automatically restored and the voter should re-register to vote using the usual registration process.

Non-Felony

A voter can vote even if they have been convicted of a misdemeanor or other non-felony offenses.

Incarcerated

If a voter is otherwise eligible to vote, they do not lose that eligibility just by being in jail. However, they may only vote early by mail if they are currently in jail. 

This includes individuals who are:

• Serving a misdemeanor sentence for a term that ends on or after election day;
• Pending trial after denial of bail;
• Without bail pending an appeal of a felony conviction; or
• Pending trial or appeal on a bailable offense for which release on bail before Election Day is unlikely.