Texas Voter Registration

Exercise your right to vote in Texas! The Secretary of State manages elections and voting in Texas. Check your registration status, learn how to register, and know what you’ll need on election day.

• Check if you’re registered

Who can vote?

In the U.S., you can vote if you are:

• A U.S. citizen
• A resident of the county where you submit the application
• At least 17 years and 10 months old on the date your voter registration application is submitted, and 18 years of age on Election Day
• Not finally convicted of a felony (you may be eligible to vote if you completed your sentence, probation, or parole)
• You have not been declared by a court exercising probate jurisdiction to be either totally mentally incapacitated or partially mentally incapacitated without the right to vote

To vote in Texas, you must first register. There are many ways to register. No matter which way you choose, your county’s voter registrar must receive your application at least 30 days before an election.

Ways to register to vote:

• In-person – Visit your county’s Voter Registrar office
• By mail – Pick up a voter registration application from your county’s Voter Registrar office, public libraries, government offices, or high schools
• Online – Fill out your voter registration application through the online portal located here, then print, sign, and mail it to your county’s Voter Registrar office

Update voter name or address

There is a free online service available for registered Texas voters who have moved or changed their name and need to update their voter registration information with the Texas Secretary of State.

• Update your voter information here

Early Voting for the March 1 Primary Election begins on Monday, February 14th, and ends on Friday, February 25th. During the Early Voting period, voters may cast a ballot at ANY early voting location in their county of residence. Early voting locations will be populated in the Texas Secretary of State's "My Voter Portal" two days prior to the first day of early voting. Here, you can enter your Name, County, Date of Birth, and ZIP code to look up your registration information and find your nearest polling location. You may want to contact the Early Voting Clerk for State and County Elections in your county for more information about early voting locations and voting hours at those locations.

Under Texas law, you are only eligible to vote by mail if you are:

• 65 years or older;
• Sick or disabled;
• Expected to give birth within three weeks before or after Election Day;
• Out of the county on election day and during the period for early voting by personal appearance;
• Confined in jail, but otherwise eligible; or
• Civilly committed under Chapter 841 of the Texas Health and Safety Code;

You can get a formal application for a ballot by mail (ABBM) by:

• Downloading an application for a ballot by mail available online here (PDF); or
• Requesting an application from The Early Voting Clerk in your county

If you are voting by mail because you are disabled or are 65 years of age or older, you may use a single application to request ballots by mail for all county elections in the calendar year. To do so, simply mark "Annual Application" on your application for a ballot by mail when selecting the election for which you are applying.

If you are voting in a political party’s primary election, you MUST check which party’s primary you are voting in to receive the correct primary ballot.

To vote by mail, you must provide ONE of the following numbers on your Application for a Ballot by Mail (ABBM):

• Texas Driver’s License, Texas Personal Identification Number or Election Identification Certificate Number issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (NOT your voter registration VUID number); OR
• If you have not been issued one of the numbers above, the last 4 digits of your Social Security Number

If you have not been issued a Texas Driver’s License, Texas Personal Identification Number or Texas Election Identification Certificate Number, or a Social Security Number, you must indicate so by checking the appropriate box on the ABBM. Your ballot by mail application must be sent to the Early Voting Clerk in the county where you are registered to vote. Applications must be received (not postmarked) by the last day of the application period.

You may present one of the following approved forms of photo ID to vote in person in Texas:

1. Texas Driver License
2. Texas Election Identification Certificate
3. Texas Personal Identification card
4. Texas Handgun License
5. U.S. Military identification card with the person’s photo
6. U.S. Citizenship Certificate with the person’s photo
7. U.S. Passport (book or card)

If you do not possess and cannot reasonably obtain one of these seven forms of photo ID, you may fill out a Reasonable Impediment Declaration at the polls and present an alternate form of identification, such as your utility bill, a bank statement, a government check, or your voter registration certificate.

With the exception of the U.S. Citizenship Certificate, which does not expire, for voters aged 18-69, the acceptable form of photo identification may be expired no more than four years before being presented for voter qualification at the polling place. 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.

Election Identification Certificates (EIC) are available from DPS driver license offices during regular business hours.

Here is a list of the supporting forms of ID that can be presented if the voter does not possess one of the 7 forms of an 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 (PDF).

Learn what to expect with "Ready. Check. Vote."

If you have specific questions about your registration or the status of your Application for Ballot by Mail, you should contact your county elections office.

For more voter information, call the Texas Secretary of State's hotline at 1-800-252-VOTE (8683) and visit www.votetexas.gov.