Voting & Elections Toolkits

Deadline

• Late day to register to vote: Monday, October 7, 2024
• First day of early voting by personal appearance: Monday, October 21, 2024.
• Last day to apply for ballot by mail (Received, not Postmarked): Friday, October 25, 2024 
• Last day of early voting by personal appearance: Friday, November 1, 2024  
• Last day to receive ballot by mail: Tuesday, November 5, 2024 - (Uniform Election Date) at 7:00 p.m. if carrier envelope is not postmarked, OR Wednesday, November 6, 2024 (the first business day after Election Day) at 5:00 p.m. if carrier envelope is postmarked by 7:00 p.m. at the location of the election on Election Day (unless overseas or military voter deadlines apply.)
• Guidelines
• TX does not offer election-day voter registration. Voters must register in person or by mail (postmarked) at least 30 days before an election.

Mail-in registration

Printable forms (in English and Spanish).

Refer to the box below for information about ID requirements.

Choosing a political party: You do not have to choose a political party affiliation when you register.

In-Person registration

You can also register in person at your county Voter Registrar's Office.

Updating registration      

To update registration after a move, name change, or other registration information change, submit a new voter registration form to your voter registrar. Alternatively, if you moved to a new location in the same county, you can submit an address change online.

Cancelling registration

The voter registrar in each county maintains the voter rolls. To remove someone from a voter roll, contact the local voter registrar

County Voter Registrar's offices.

ID Requirements for Voting

Voters Aged 18-69

Here is a list of the acceptable forms of photo ID, which can be expired for up to four years if otherwise valid:

• 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 (book or card)

Voters Aged 70+

 For voters aged 70 or older, the acceptable form of photo identification may be expired for any length of time if the identification is otherwise valid.

Alternate Supporting Forms of ID

Here is a list of the supporting forms of ID that can be presented if the voter does not possess one of the forms of acceptable photo ID and cannot reasonably obtain one:

• 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; or
• 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.

Exemptions

Voters with a disability may apply with the county voter registrar for a permanent exemption to presenting an acceptable photo identification or following the Reasonable Impediment Declaration procedure in the county. Those who obtain a disability exemption will be allowed to vote upon display of their voter registration certificate reflecting the exemption, and will not need to execute a Reasonable Impediment Declaration. Please contact your county voter registrar for more details.

Voters who have a consistent religious objection to being photographed or who do not present an acceptable form of photo identification listed above or follow the Reasonable Impediment Declaration procedure because of certain natural disasters as declared by the President of the United States or the Texas Governor, may vote a provisional ballot, appear at the voter registrar’s office within six (6) calendar days after election day, and sign an affidavit swearing to the religious objection or natural disaster, in order for the voter’s ballot to be counted. Please contact your county voter registrar for more details.

For more information regarding registering to vote, please visit the Texas Secretary of State website.

Where to get an ID

Department of Motor Vehicles

• Locations

Obtaining an ID

• New ID
• Renewing your ID
• Changing the Address

Ballot by Mail (no longer called absentee voting)

Opening/closing dates

• Ballots by mail can be requested and approved by the county Early Voting Clerk beginning January 1st each year.
• Applications for ballot by mail for the November 5, 2024 election will not be accepted after October 25, 2024.
• Last day to receive ballot by mail: Tuesday, November 5, 2024 (Election Day) at 7:00 p.m. if carrier envelope is not postmarked, OR Wednesday, November 6, 2024 (next business day after Election Day) at 5:00 p.m. if carrier envelope is postmarked by 7:00 p.m. at the location of the election on Election Day (unless overseas or military voter deadlines apply.)

Military voters and voters who reside outside the U.S.

• Military and overseas voters can use the Federal Postcard Application (FPCA) to apply for an absentee ballot by mail (must be received by the county Early Voting Clerk no later than 7 days before the election). They will then receive a hard copy or emailed, printable ballot which must be filled and returned by mail by 7:00 p.m. on election day, or 5 days after election day for overseas voters.

Who is eligible to use an absentee ballot?

You may apply for and receive an absentee ballot if you 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;
• Civilly committed under Chapter 841 of the Texas Health and Safety Code; or
• Confined in jail, but otherwise eligible.

Application for Absentee Ballot (English).

County Early Voting Clerk directory

Polling places and hours

• Use the Am I Registered? site to find your early voting or election day voting place.
• On election day, polls in Texas are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• You may also contact your Voting Clerk for State and County Elections for polling hours and locations.
• Time off to vote: If an employee has not voted early and does not have at least two consecutive hours in which to vote outside working hours, the employee is entitled to take paid time off for voting on election days.

Rides to the polls

Many organizations offer free rides to polling places. Some of these include:

• Lyft provides free or discounted rides in some underserved communities
• Political parties sometimes arrange rides for voters. Contact the local office:
  • Republican Party
  • Democratic Party

Help for voters with disabilities

• Disability Rights Texas runs events and programs for facilitating voting for disabled voters in Texas. Their Voting page has helpful information and resources.
• If you have a disability, you may be able to vote by mail by submitting the Application for a Ballot by Mail to your county Early Voting Clerk anytime from the 60th to the 11th day before Election Day.
• Curbside voting, accessible voting equipment, and personal assistance, including interpreters, are available at most polling places and by contacting local elections officers.

For more information regarding voters with disabilities, please visit the Texas Secretary of State website.

Ballots

Where to get more info on candidates

• Current election information

Sample ballots

• BALLOTPEDIA

Who are the candidates, and what else is on the ballot?

• More information about candidates can be found at the Texas Secretary of State website.
• Party-specific links of interest.

Important Dates

Current election information

Who conducts elections?

• The Texas Secretary of State is the Commissioner of Elections and oversees statewide and local elections
• The Registrars of Voters maintains voter rolls for each municipality
• Town Clerks prepare ballots and administer balloting for each municipality

More detailed information regarding conducting elections can be found at the Texas Secretary of State website.

Voter Bill of Rights

• A ballot with written instructions on how to cast a ballot.
• Ask the polling place official for instructions on how to cast a ballot (but not suggestions on how to vote).
• Cast your vote in secret and free from intimidation.
• Receive up to two more ballots if you make a mistake while marking the ballot.
• Bring an interpreter to assist you as you qualify to vote if you do not understand the English language.
• Help to cast your ballot if you cannot write, see the ballot, or understand the language in which it is written.
• Report a possible voting rights abuse to the Secretary of State (1.800.252.8683) or to your local election official.
• Cast a provisional ballot if your name does not appear on the list of registered voters.
• (1) Cast a provisional ballot
  • (a) if you do not possess one of the seven (7) acceptable forms of photo identification, which, if you are under 70, is not expired for more than four years, and you can reasonably obtain one of these forms of identification or
  • (b) if you possess, but did not bring to the polling place, one of the seven forms of acceptable photo identification, which, if you are under 70, is not expired for more than four years, or
  • (c) if you do not possess one of the seven forms of acceptable photo identification, which, if you are under 70, is not expired for more than four years, you could otherwise not reasonably obtain one, but you did not bring a supporting form of identification to the polling place, and
• (2) the right to present one of the acceptable forms of photo identification, which, if you are under 70, is not expired for more than four years, or, if you do not possess and cannot reasonably obtain an acceptable form of photo identification, the right to execute a reasonable impediment declaration and present one of the supporting forms of identification, to the county voter registrar’s office, within six (6) calendar days after election day, or, if applicable, qualify for a temporary (natural disaster or religious objection to being photographed) or permanent (disability) exemption, within six (6) calendar days of election day, at the county voter registrar’s office.
• Vote once at any early voting location during the early voting period within the territory conducting the election.
• File an administrative complaint with the Secretary of State concerning violations of federal and state voting procedures.

For more information, please visit the VoteTexas website.

Complaints about (1) candidates or (2) how elections are conducted

• Sworn complaints regarding candidates and campaigning can be lodged with the Texas Ethics Commission.
• An individual may submit an election complaint to the Texas Secretary of State through the use of a form found online.
• Election complaints are investigated and prosecuted through the Texas Attorney General.

Campaign finance

Information regarding campaign finance reports can be found with the Texas Ethics Commission.

How to contact your elected officials:

• Statewide elected officials
• The Texas Tribune maintains a directory of elected officials.
• Map-based search tool to find your elected representatives.