Voting in Texas
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The policies governing voter participation are enacted and enforced primarily at the state level. These policies, which includevoter identification requirements,early voting provisions,online voter registration systems, and more, dictate the conditions under which people cast their ballots in their respective states.
This article includes the following information about voting policies in Texas:
- Voter registration details, including deadlines and eligibility requirements.
- In-person voting details, including identification requirements, poll times, and early voting provisions.
- Absentee/mail-in voting deadlines and rules.
- Details aboutvoting rules for people convicted of a felony.
- Contact information forelection agencies.
Click here for more information about election administration in the state, including voter list maintenance policies, provisional ballot rules, post-election auditing practices, and additional election policy context.
For information on elections happening this year,click here.
Do you have questions about your elections? Looking for information about your local election official? Clickhere to use U.S. Vote Foundation’s election official lookup tool.
Voter registration
The table below displays voter registration information specific to Texas' 2026 election cycle.
Voter registration inTexas: March 3, 2026, election.
Can people register to vote online? If so, what is the link?
Can voters check their registration status online? If so, what is the link?
Can voters update their registration online? If so, what is the link?
What was the deadline for registering in person?
What was the deadline for registering by mail?
Is the mail-in registration deadline a postmark or receipt deadline?
What was the online registration deadline, if available?
Is Election Day registration available?
Is same-day registration available during early voting?
Eligibility and registration details
- Check your voter registration statushere.
To register to vote in Texas, an applicant must be a United States citizen, a resident of the county in which he or she is registering, and at least 17 years and 10 months old. An individual may also not be a convicted felon whose sentence, including probation or parole, is not complete, or declared mentally incapacitated by a court.[1]
The deadline to register to vote is 30 days before the election. Prospective voters canrequest a postage-paid voter registration form online or complete the formonline and return it to the county voter registrar. Applications are also available at a variety of locations, including the county voter registrar’s office, the secretary of state’s office, libraries, and high schools. Voter registration certificates are mailed to newly registered voters.[2][3]
In-person voting
The table below displays voter registration information specific to Texas' 2026 election cycle.
In-person voting inTexas: March 3, 2026, election.
Are all voters required to show ID?
What kinds of ID are accepted?
Texas driver’s license issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)Texas Election Identification Certificate issued by DPSTexas Personal Identification Card issued by DPSTexas handgun license issued by DPSUnited States Military Identification Card containing the person’s photographUnited States Citizenship Certificate containing the person’s photographUnited States passport (book or card)
Where can voters learn more about the state's voter ID requirements?
When does early voting start?
When does early voting end?
Where can I find early voting locations?
Is weekend voting available?
Where can voters learn more about early voting?
What are the poll times on Election Day?
Where can I find voting locations?
Poll times
- See also:State poll opening and closing times
InTexas, all polling places are open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time. Texas is divided between the Central and Mountain time zones. Anyone in line when the polls close must be allowed to vote.[4][5]
Voter identification
- See also:Voter identification laws by state
Texas requires voters to present photo identification while voting.[6]
The following list of accepted IDs was current as of December 2025.Click here for the Texas Secretary of State's page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.
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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.[7] | ” |
Voters who are unable to provide one of the ID options listed above can sign a Reasonable Impediment Declaration and provide one of the following supporting documents:[6]
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The following voters are exempt from showing photo ID:[6]
- Voters with a disability "may apply with the county voter registrar for a permanent exemption by presenting an acceptable photo identification or following the Reasonable Impediment Declaration procedure in the county."
- Voters who have a religious objection to being photographed and voters affected by a natural disaster declarated by the governor or president of the United States 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."
To view Texas law pertaining to voter identification,click here.
Voters who do not have a photo ID can obtain aTexas Election Identification Certificate (EIC) at anyTexas driver’s license office during regular business hours. Voters can also obtain an Election Identification Certificate from a mobile station. Locations are listedhere.[6]
Early voting
- See also:Early voting
Texas permits early voting. Learn more by visitingthis website.
Early voting allows citizens to cast their ballots in person at a polling place before an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.
Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting. Alabama, Mississippi, and New Hampshire do not offer no-excuse early voting.
Absentee/mail-in voting
- See also:Absentee/mail-in voting
The table below displays voter registration information specific to Texas' 2026 election cycle.
Absentee voting inTexas: March 3, 2026, election.
Are there limits on who can request a ballot?
What is the deadline for requesting a ballot by mail?
Is the request deadline a postmark or receipt deadline?
What is the deadline for returning a voted ballot by mail?
Is the return deadline a postmark or receipt deadline?
Are there notary or witness requirements?
Texas voters are eligible to vote absentee in an election if:
- They cannot make it to the polls on Election Day because they will be away from the county on Election Day and during early voting;
- They are sick or disabled;
- They are expeted to give birth within three weeks before or after Election Day
- They are 65 years of age or older on Election Day; or
- They are confined in jail.[8]
To vote absentee, a request must be received by county election officials no later than the close of regular business on the eleventh day before the election. The completed ballot must be postmarked by 7 p.m. on Election Day and received by 5 p.m. on the day after the election to be counted.[8][9]
Voters who have a new sickness or physical disability that originates after the second to last day to apply for an absentee ballot may request an emergency absentee ballot. The deadline for returning the ballot is 7 p.m. on Election Day.[10]
Local election officials
Do you need information about elections inyour area? Are you looking foryour local election official?Click here to visit theU.S. Vote Foundation and use their election official lookup tool. |
Voting rules for people convicted of a felony
In Texas, people who receive afinal felony conviction regain their voting rights automatically upon completion of their entire sentence, including incarceration, parole, probation, or supervision. Voting rights can also be restored before the completion of the sentence with a pardon. A final felony conviction includes only the sentence pertaining to the crime.Click here for more information on Texas' treatment of felony convictions and voting rights.[11]
Voting rights for people convicted of a felony vary from state to state. In the majority of states, people convicted of a felony cannot vote while they are incarcerated but may regain the right to vote upon release from prison or at some point thereafter.[12]
Contact information
Election agencies
- See also:State election agencies
Individuals seeking additional information about election administration in Texas can contact the following local, state, and federal agencies.
Texas County Clerks
Texas Secretary of State, Elections Division
- Physical Address: James E. Rudder Building
- 1019 Brazos St.
- Austin, Texas 78701
- Mailing Address: P.O. Box 12887
- Austin, Texas 78711-2887
- Phone: 512-463-5650
- Toll free: 1-800-252-8683
- Fax: 512-475-2811
- Email:elections@sos.texas.gov
- Website:http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/
Texas Ethics Commission
- Physical Address: Sam Houston Building
- 201 East 14th St., 10th Floor
- Austin, Texas 78701
- Mailing Address: P. O. Box 12070
- Austin, Texas 78711-2070
- Phone: 512-463-5800
- Email:reception@ethics.state.tx.us
- Website:https://www.ethics.state.tx.us
U.S. Election Assistance Commission
- 633 3rd Street NW, Suite 200
- Washington, DC 20001
- Phone: 301-563-3919
- Toll free: 1-866-747-1471
- Email:clearinghouse@eac.gov
- Website:https://www.eac.gov
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See also
- State of Election Administration Legislation Reports
- Voter ID in Texas
- Election administration in Texas
- Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Texas
Elections in Texas
External links
Footnotes
- ↑Texas Secretary of State, “Request for Voter Registration Applications,” accessed December 23, 2025
- ↑Texas Secretary of State, “Voter Registration,” accessed December 23, 2025
- ↑Texas.gov, "Texas Voter Registration," accessed December 23, 2025
- ↑VoteTexas.gov, "What's allowed at the polling place?" accessed December 23, 2025
- ↑Texas Secretary of State, "Election Day – Closing the Polling Place Checklist ," accessed December 23, 2025
- ↑6.06.16.26.3Texas Secretary of State, "Identification Requirements for Voting," accessed December 23, 2025
- ↑7.07.1Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑8.08.1VoteTexas.gov, "Early Voting FAQ," accessed December 23, 2025
- ↑VoteTexas.gov, "Completing and Mailing your Carrier Envelope," accessed December 23, 2025
- ↑VoteTexas.gov, "Emergency Ballots due to Sickness or Physical Disability," accessed December 23, 2025
- ↑Texas State Law Library, "Can a person convicted of a felony vote in Texas?" accessed December 23, 2025
- ↑National Conference of State Legislatures, "Felon Voting Rights," August 19, 2025
