Voting in Texas

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General Election

11/05/2024
General Election Date
10/07/2024
Voter Registration Deadline (online, in-person, by mail - postmarked)

Vote By Mail Deadlines

10/25/2024
Deadline to Request Ballot (Received by)
11/05/2024
Deadline to Return Ballot (Postmarked By)

Early Voting Dates

10/21/2024
Early Voting Begins
11/01/2024
Early Voting Ends

Polling place hours: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Register to Vote

How to Vote in Texas

Learn about all the options to vote in Texas to make a plan to vote that works for you!

Frequently Asked Questions

Texas Board of Elections Phone Number: (800) 252-VOTE

Texas Board of Elections Website

Having trouble at the polls?

Call or text: 1-866-OUR-VOTE

Register to Vote in Texas

Whether you are registering to vote for the first time, or need to update your address, name or party affiliation - we've got you covered!

Am I Registered?

Not sure if you are eligible to vote due to a felony conviction?
Click here to learn more.

Texas Frequently Asked Questions

Absolutely! You can check your voter registration online on Texas’ elections office website here, or you can contact the Board of Elections at (512) 463-5650.

It can take several weeks. Most states send out voter registration cards within 5 to 7 weeks after receiving the registration. If you do not receive a registration card in the mail, contact your state election office to confirm you are registered. Find your state’s contact information in our How to Vote in Your State section on this page! In any event, you should verify your registration a week prior to the voter registration deadline in your state in case you need to fill out a new registration form or correct your form.

Elections take place all the time throughout the year, and odds are, you probably have an election coming up in your state! In addition to the presidential election and midterm elections, you have statewide, countywide and municipal elections that you can make your voice heard in. Make sure you know when your upcoming elections are so that you don’t miss a single one! Check out when your next election is here.

Your state provides an online ballot tracking system. You can track your ballot here!

YES you are able to register to vote at your student address. You should provide your official campus mailing address as well as the actual physical address of your on or off campus residence when registering to vote. You must have some sort of proof of address and residency that can be presented at your polling place (mail, a student ID, etc.). For more information, we suggest visiting your state’s elections office website. Remember: you can only register to vote and vote in one place, whether that is your student address or your home address!

YES, unhoused voters can register to vote and use their voice in Texas’ elections. Unhoused voters or voters without a permanent address may list a shelter address, street corner, or park as their address. For more information on voting while unhoused, visit our friends at the National Coalition for the Homeless.

YES. In this case you must register at the last address you had before you left the USA, or at the address to which you will return to when returning to the USA (you must present some indication of a present intent to return and live there – e.g. vehicle registration, driver’s license, property ownership, family, etc). If you have never had a permanent address in the United States but are a citizen you are allowed to register at an address you plan on moving to or an address where you currently have family living. Access more information on voting overseas here.

You may call the voting rights hotline at 866 687-8683, if informing another poll worker isn’t successful. They have lawyers ready to help you. Additionally, you can call the civil rights division of the U.S Department of Justice.

You can also find Texas’s elections office here and contact them by phone at (512) 463-5650.

Vote By Mail

Request and track

Notice: Mail-in voting is a convenient and safe way to vote, but your ballot might not count if it’s submitted late or with errors. So follow the directions below on how to vote early or absentee and make your vote count in Texas.

Vote By Mail Deadlines

10/25/2024
Deadline to Request Ballot (Received by)
11/05/2024
Deadline to Return Ballot (Postmarked By)

Excuse required to vote by mail.

How Vote By Mail Works in Texas

Voting by mail is a two step process in Texas.

Step 1: Request your ballot NOW. The deadline for your application to be received is 11 days before Election Day. You must have an excuse to qualify to vote with an absentee ballot.

Step 2: Complete and return your ballot ASAP.

  • Return in person to your county elections office by 7 p.m. on Election Day. You must have a valid photo ID when returning your ballot in person.
  • Or stamp and mail your ballot - ballots must be received no later than Election Day at 7 p.m. to be counted. We recommend returning ASAP.

Click Here to See Your Ballot

Where to Sign Your Ballot

Remember to sign your return ballot.

After you complete your ballot, be sure to sign the ballot carrier envelope. 

Be sure that your signature matches your signature on file with the state! If you registered online or at the DMV, check the signature on your license. If the signature does not match, your ballot could be tossed and will not count.

How You Can Return Your Mail-in Ballot

If you return your ballot by mail, you must add a stamp when mailing in your ballot. You can also return your ballot via commercial delivery services, such as FedEx or UPS (at your expense).

You can also drop off your ballot in person at your local elections office.

Can Someone Else Return Your Ballot For You?

Only YOU can hand-deliver or return a ballot by mail, unless you complete the assistance portion of the carrier envelope.

Track Your Ballot

Track your ballot by clicking here.

Haven't used your ballot?

If you have an absentee ballot that you are not going to use, or you miss the deadline to return, you may go to your polling place and vote in person. You may be asked to use a provisional ballot. This is better than not voting, but may not be counted.

Opportunities to Fix Challenges to Your Ballot

Texas does offer voters a chance to address challenges to their ballot.

Your state has a cure period, which means you can “cure” a challenge to the signature on your ballot if it was done incorrectly. Your local elections office is required to contact you and give you options to remedy your ballot.

You may cure your ballot until the close of polls on Election Day by mail. You may cure your ballot until the 6th day after Election Day in person at the county clerk’s office.

You may get a call from a number you do not recognize with a notification that you need to cure your ballot. Be sure to pick so you don’t miss your chance to make sure your vote is counted.

Voter ID

Do Voters Need ID?

Texas voters must show ID at the polls in order to vote. All IDs must contain a photo and be either unexpired or expired up to four years, unless voter is age 70 or older, then the document can be expired. Valid forms of identification include;

  • Texas driver’s license
  • Texas election ID certificate
  • Texas personal ID card
  • Handgun license
  • Military ID card
  • US Passport
  • US Citizenship certificate

If a voter does not have one of the above forms of identification, then they may show one of the following;

  • Voter registration certificate
  • Certified birth certificate
  • Current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck or government document/check with voter’s name and any address
  • Any other government document showing the voter’s name and an address (ex: out-of-state license)

Alongside these documents, a voter will be asked to sign a Reasonable Impediment Declaration and then will be allowed to cast a regular ballot.

If you do not currently have a valid ID, Election Identification Certificates are available at no charge from DPS driver’s license offices during regular business hours.

Voter ID in Texas

Find Your Ballot

Enter your address below to see what you can expect on Election Day.

Primaries

Automatic Registration

Your state automatically registers people to vote at the address on their drivers license or other state issued ID card. If you have moved but have not updated your ID with your new address, changed your name or want to add a political party selection, you must update your voter registration. Click here to check to see if you are registered to vote, and update your registration if needed.

Election Day Registration

You can register to vote and cast your ballot on Election Day at your polling place or local elections office. Bring a valid ID and proof of residence with you.

Early Voting

Early Voting Dates

10/21/2024
Voting Begins
11/01/2024
Voting Ends

You can vote early in Texas

To find early voting locations in Texas, visit the the My Voter Page.

Preregister

Some states have laws that specifically allow citizens to preregister at a certain age while others allow registration as long as you’re 18 by the next election. Preregistration means you’ll be automatically registered to vote on your 18th birthday without taking any additional steps.

In Texas, you can preregister to vote if you are 17 years and 10 months. Register to vote today!

Some states even let you vote in their primaries at 17 if you’ll be 18 by the general election so you can participate in the whole process!

You can not vote in the Texas primaries if you are 17 by the next election.