Texas

State Contact Information

Secretary of State
Elections Division
P.O. Box 12060
Austin, Texas 78711-2060

Phone: 512.463.5650
Fax: 512.475.2811

Web: http://www.sos.state.tx.us/

Email: elections@sos.state.tx.us

Voter Registration

Qualifications to register

To be eligible to register in Texas, you must:

be a U.S. citizen;
be a resident of the county;
be 18 years old (you may register at 17 years and 10 months);
not a convicted felon (unless a person's sentence is completed, including any probation or parole)
not declared mentally incapacitated by a court of law

For more information, please read the Voter Registration in Texas pamphlet.

Obtaining a Voter Registration Application

Qualified voters may obtain an application from the county Voter Registrar's office, the Secretary of State's Office, libraries, many post offices, or high schools.

In addition, voters may download or request a Texas Voter Registration Application, then mail the application to their local Voter Registration Official.

The form is in Adobe Acrobat Portable Data Format (PDF). If you do not have the Adobe Acrobat Reader, please visit Adobe online in order to down load the free plug-in. After filling in the information mail it to your local voter registrar.

Postage-paid application

Voters may request a postage-paid application by filling out this form and no later than the next working day, a voter registration application will be mailed to you. Voters must mail the voter registration application to the voter registrar in their county of residence.

You must be at least 17 years and 10 months of age on the date you apply. If for any reason you cannot register yourself, with your permission, your spouse, parent or child may fill out and sign an application for you if that person is a registered voter or has applied for voter registration. This person is known as your "agent."

ID Requirement for Voter Registration

All voters who registered to vote in Texas must provide a Texas driver's license number or personal identification number issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety. Voters who do not have such a number, must state that fact and provide the last four digits of their social security number. If they do not have a social security number, they must also state that fact.

Voters who have not been issued any of the three identification numbers requested on the application are still eligible to register to vote, but will be required to provide proof of their identity. These voters may enclose a copy of identification with their voter registration application, or may present identification when they vote. Acceptable identification includes:

a driver's license or personal identification card issued to the person by the Department of Public Safety or a similar document issued to the person by an agency of another state, regardless of whether the license or card has expired;
a form of identification containing the person's photograph that establishes the person's identity;
a birth certificate or other document confirming birth that is admissible in a court of law and establishes the person's identity;
United States citizenship papers issued to the person;
a United States passport issued to the person;
official mail addressed to the person by name from a governmental entity;
a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows the name and address of the voter; or
any other form of identification prescribed by the Secretary of State.

After You Register to Vote

Once you apply, a voter registration certificate (proof of registration) will be mailed to you within 30 days.
Check your certificate to be sure all information is correct. (If there is a mistake, make corrections and return it to the voter registrar immediately.)
When you go to the polls to vote, present your certificate as proof of registration.
You may vote without your certificate by signing an affidavit at the polling place and showing some other form of identification (for example, driver's license, birth certificate, copy of electric bill).
If you lose your certificate, notify your county Voter Registrar in writing to receive a new one.
You will automatically receive a new certificate every two years, if you haven't moved from the address at which you are registered.

If you move within the county

If you move within the same county simply go to the Secretary of State's web site and change your address online or promptly notify the Voter Registrar, in writing, of your new address by:

correcting your current voter registration certificate on the back and returning it to the Voter Registrar;
filling out a new voter registration
application form and checking the "change" box; or
making simultaneous changes to your driver's license and voter registration when you apply for or update your driver's license.

You will receive a new certificate with your new address. You will be able to vote in your new precinct 30 days after your change of address is submitted. If you miss the deadline (30 days before an election), you may vote in your former precinct as long as you still reside in the political subdivision conducting the election.

Your residence is located in a specific "precinct," which is an area within the county. There are many precincts within a county. The place where you will vote on Election Day is located in your precinct. There may be combined precincts in order to accommodate joint local elections; therefore, in some elections you may vote outside your designated precinct. The County Clerk or Elections Administrator can give you the specific location of your polling place, or you can check on-line to see if the County Clerk or Elections Administrator has that information posted.

If you move to another county

You must reregister! Fill out a new application and mail it, or take it in person, to the Voter Registrar of your new county. You may not register online if you move from one county to another. You will be registered 30 days after your application is submitted. You will receive a new certificate.

If your registration in the new county is not yet effective, you may be able to vote a "limited" ballot in your new county of residence on candidates or issues common between your old and new county. You may vote this "limited" ballot after moving and only during early voting by personal appearance (not Election Day) or by mail, if:

you were registered to vote in your former county at the time you moved;
and your registration in your new county is not yet effective.

Name change

Promptly notify the Voter Registrar, in writing, of the change using the same steps as for IF YOU MOVE WITHIN THE COUNTY. You will receive a new certificate 30 days after your name change notice is submitted. You may continue to vote during this period. If you do not have your certificate in hand, you may sign an affidavit at the polls and present a form of identification.

ID Requirement

On offering to vote, a voter must present the voter’s voter registration certificate to an election officer at the polling place. Voters who are not able to present their voter registration certificate may provide one of the alternative forms of identification listed below.

Acceptable Forms of ID

Voter registration certificate; OR
Driver’s license
Department of Public Safety ID card
A form of ID containing the person’s photo that establishes the person’s identity
A birth certificate or other document confirming birth that is admissible in a court of law and establishes the person’s identity
U.S. citizenship papers
A U.S. passport
Official mail addressed to the person, by name, from a governmental entity
A copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows the person’s name and address
Any other form of ID prescribed by the secretary of state

Early Voting (open)

Registered voters in Texas can vote at their convenience in most elections before Election Day. "Early voting" is a way to cast your ballot before Election Day either in person or by mail. There are two ways to vote early in Texas-in person and by mail.

In person: Early voting in-person is open to any registered voter who wishes to vote before Election Day without having to provide a reason or excuse. Early in-person voters do not need to vote in their assigned precinct and can cast their ballot at any early voting site convenient to them. For early voting dates, hours, and places, please call your County Clerk or Elections Administrator.

When to vote early in person:

Early voting generally begins 17 days before each election and ends 4 days before each election. Early voting for the May uniform election date begins 12 days before the election and ends 4 days before the election.

Presidential Preference Primary on March 4, 2008:

First Day of Early Voting: February 19, 2008

Last Day of Early Voting: February 29, 2008

General Election on November 4, 2008:

First Day of Early Voting: October 20, 2008

Last Day of Early Voting: October 31, 2008

Curbside voting: If you can drive or if you have a friend or relative who can drive you, you don't even have to get out of the car. Call ahead to notify the early voting clerk that you want to vote from your car. This procedure is called "curbside voting" and is available to any voter who has difficulty walking or standing for long periods. The election official will bring your ballot to your car outside the polling place. Curbside voting is available during early voting and on Election Day. State and Federal law requires all early and Election Day polling locations to be physically accessible to voters with disabilities. Call your election official for information on your particular voting sites.

Absentee Voting/Vote By Mail (restricted)

Early voting by mail is limited to voters who are:

going to be away from their county on Election Day and during early voting;
sick or disabled;
65 years of age or older on Election Day; or
confined in jail, but eligible to vote.

When to request an application for a ballot by mail:

The application period for early voting by mail begins 60 days before Election Day and ends 7 days before Election Day, before the close of business. If the 7th day is a weekend, the last day to submit an application is the preceding Friday.

Presidential Preference Primary on March 4, 2008:

First Day to Apply for Ballot by Mail: January 4, 2008

Last Day to Apply for Ballot by Mail (received not Postmarked): February 26, 2008

General Election on November 4, 2008:

First Day to Apply for Ballot by Mail: September 5, 2008

Last Day to Apply for Ballot by Mail (received, not postmarked): October 28, 2008

How to request an absentee/vote by mail ballot:

Voters can request an application for a ballot to be mailed to them from their county clerk’s office or by downloading an application form.

If you are voting early by mail, you must send your application by:

regular mail;
common or contract carrier; or
FAX (if a FAX machine is available to the early voting clerk and if you are submitting your application from outside the county).

Exception:

If you are voting early because of expected absence, you may apply in person for a ballot by mail before the first day of early voting in person.

You may obtain a formal application from the early voting clerk in your county or from the Secretary of State's web site or toll-free at 1-800-252-VOTE (8683). You do not have to use a formal application; however, an informal application must be in writing and include:

your signature (or a witness' signature if you cannot sign);
your name and the address at which you are registered to vote;
the address to which the ballot is to be mailed;
the election date and for which election you are requesting a ballot (for a primary election, you must state the political party's primary in which you wish to vote); and,
a reason why you are eligible to vote early by mail (to be eligible to vote early due to expected absence from the county, your application must state an address out-of-county to have your ballot mailed).

The early voting clerk must receive your marked ballot by 7 p.m. on Election Day.

Exception:

If you are mailing your ballot from outside the United States, the early voting clerk must receive your ballot by the fifth day after Election Day. (You must mail it no later than 7 p.m. on Election Day.)

Provisional Voting (in precinct)

A “provisional ballot” can be considered a temporary ballot. Federal law provides for voters whose eligibility is in question to cast a ballot. A provisional ballot is not counted until voter eligibility can be determined by Election officials. Provisional voting was established nationwide by the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA). This means that no person who says they are registered to vote may be denied their right to vote. Note: Voters casting a provisional ballot must cast at a precinct in which he/she is registered otherwise the ballot will not be counted.

The following individuals are eligible to cast a provisional ballot:

A voter who claims to be properly registered and eligible to vote at the election precinct, but whose name does not appear on the list of registered voters and whose registration cannot be determined by the Voter Registrar; or
A voter who is designated as a first time voter on the list of registered voters but who is unable to produce the required identification; or
A voter who has applied for a ballot by mail, but has not returned the ballot by mail; or
A voter who votes during polling hours that have been extended by a state or federal court; or
A voter who is registered to vote but attempting to vote in a different precinct other than the one in which the voter is registered; or
A voter who is required to present identification but does not; or,
A voter who is on the list, but whose registered residence address is outside of the political subdivision.

The Election Judge at the precinct makes that determination. If a voter is eligible to cast a provisional ballot, then the Election Judge immediately informs the voter of their right. In order to vote a provisional ballot, the voter must complete and sign an "Affidavit of Provisional Voter," a form which will also serve as a voter registration application in the event the voter is not registered or as an update to the voter's registration record in the event the information is different.

Sample Ballots

Provision of sample ballots may vary by county. Please contact your local county clerk’s office for more information about the distribution of sample ballots.

Type of Primary (open)

Texas’ primary system is open and therefore a voter is not required to declare party affiliation in order to vote in a primary election. However, voter must vote in runoff primary of same party.