Texas Election Information

Upcoming Elections

2010 Primary Election: 03/2/10

2010 General Election: 11/2/10

Polling Place Hours: Polls are open during early voting and on election days from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.

Click here to download a Texas Frequently Asked Questions document created by the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and its pro bono law firm partners.

Voter Registration Information

Registration Deadlines

A registration application must be received in the Voter Registrar's office or postmarked at least 30 days before an election in order for a voter to be eligible to vote in that election.

Deadline for 2010 General Election: October 4, 2010.

Identification Required for Registration

On the application an applicant must provide:

• a Texas driver's license,
• a personal identification number issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety, OR
• the last four digits of their social security number. 

An applicant is still eligible to vote even if they were not issued any of these three identification numbers, but will need to either enclose a copy of acceptable identification with the voter registration application or present it when voting. 

Acceptable identification includes:

• A drivers license or personal identification card issued by an agency of another state, even if the license or card has expired;
• A form of identification that contains the voter's photograph and establishes the voter's identity;
• A birth certificate or other document that confirms birth and is admissible in a court of law to establish identity;
• United States citizenship papers;
• A United States passport;
• Official mail addressed to the voter 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 voter's name and address; or
• Any other form of identification prescribed by the Texas Secretary of State.
   

How to Check Registration

Call 1-866-OUR-VOTE

Visit the Secretary of State's Voter Information website.

Voting Information

Identification Required to Vote

Acceptable identification includes:

• A drivers license or personal identification card issued by an agency of another state, even if the license or card has expired;
• A form of identification that contains the voter's photograph and establishes the voter's identity;
• A birth certificate or other document that confirms birth and is admissible in a court of law to establish identity;
• United States citizenship papers;
• A United States passport;
• Official mail addressed to the voter 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 voter's name and address; or
• Any other form of identification prescribed by the Texas Secretary of State.

How to Find Your Polling Place

Call 1-866-OUR-VOTE

Absentee Voting

Click here to visit GoVoteAbsentee.org, a resource for absentee voters.

Absentee voting is allowed if the voter:

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

Rules and Deadlines:

• Formal applications for requesting an absentee ballot are available from:
  • The Secretary of State's office;
    
  • The Early Voting Clerk in the county where the voter is registered;
  • Or from the Secretary of State's website.

• If not submitting a formal application, a voter may submit a written request for an absentee ballot including the following information:
  • Voter's signature, or a witness' signature if the voter cannot sign;
    
  • Voter's name and the address at which they are registered to vote;
  • The address to which the ballot is to be mailed;
  • The election date and the election for which you are requesting a ballot; and
  • A reason why the voter is eligible to vote early by mail. For voters voting by mail because they expect to be out of the county, the application must state the out-of-county address where the ballot should be mailed.

• The application must be received (not postmarked) by the Early Voting Clerk at the county Voter Registrar office in order to vote by October 26, 2010.

• Applications may be sent by:
  • Regular mail;
  • Common or contract carrier; or
  • FAX if (a) a FAX machine is available to the Early Voting Clerk and (b) the voter is faxing the application from outside the county.

• The Early Voting Clerk must receive a marked ballot by 7 p.m. on Election Day or, if mailing a ballot from outside the United States, by the 5th day after Election Day. (Overseas ballots must be mailed no later than 7 p.m. on Election Day).
   

Early Voting

Early voting in person generally starts 17 days before each election and ends 4 days before each election. 

For 2010 general election, early voting begins on October 18, 2010 and ends October 29, 2010.

A voter may vote early in-person at any early voting location in the county. 

Poll hours for early voting vary by county and by week, please contact your county voting clerk's office for their hours. On election day polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.

Information For People who have Moved or Changed Addresses

Moving within the Same County

• If a voter has moved within the same county where they are currently registered, the voter must file the new address information in writing with the voter registrar in that county.  The voter may also submit the in-county change online.
• The last day to make a change of address for the November 2, 2010 election is October 4, 2010.
• If a voter misses this deadline, they may return to their old precinct to vote, and will be required to complete a "statement of residence" confirming their new address in their new precinct.

Moving to Another County

• If a voter has moved to a new county, they must re-register in their new county of residence by October 4, 2010 to be eligible to vote in the November 2, 2010 General Election.
• If the voter does not re-register, they may be eligible to vote a limited ballot in their new county.
  • A limited ballot means that the voter would be allowed to vote on any candidates and measures in common between the former and new county.
    
  • The voter must have been an eligible voter in their former county when they moved in order to qualify and they must vote during the early voting period-either in-person or, if they meet the vote-by-mail criteria, by mail. Voters may not vote a limited ballot on Election Day.
    
    

Information for People with Felony Convictions

In Texas, a convicted felon regains the right to vote after completing his or her sentence. Once a person has completed the punishment phase (including any term of incarceration, parole, or supervision, or completed a period of probation ordered by the court), they will need to re-register by October 4, 2010 in order to vote in the general election.

For more information, go to the Secretary of State's website, or click here to download a Texas Election Protection Manual created by the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and its pro bono law firm partners.