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Voting in Texas

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Select a state from the menu below to learn more about its voting policies.

The policies governing voter participation are enacted and enforced primarily at the state level. These policies, which include voter 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:

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? Click here to use U.S. Vote Foundation’s election official lookup tool.

Voter registration

Eligibility and registration details

Check your voter registration status here.

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 can request a postage-paid voter registration form online or complete the form online 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

Poll times

See also: State poll opening and closing times

In Texas, 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.

“
  • Texas driver’s 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)

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]

“
  • 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
  • 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)[7]
 ”

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 a Texas Election Identification Certificate (EIC) at any Texas driver’s license office during regular business hours. Voters can also obtain an Election Identification Certificate from a mobile station. Locations are listed here.[6]

Early voting

See also: Early voting

Texas permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.

Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to 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.


Absentee/mail-in voting

See also: Absentee/mail-in voting

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

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Do you need information about elections in your area? Are you looking for your local election official? Click here to visit the U.S. Vote Foundation and use their election official lookup tool.

Voting rules for people convicted of a felony

See also: Voting rights for people convicted of a felony

In Texas, people who receive a final 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

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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

Click here for a list

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

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External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Texas Secretary of State, “Request for Voter Registration Applications,” accessed December 23, 2025
  2. ↑ Texas Secretary of State, “Voter Registration,” accessed December 23, 2025
  3. ↑ Texas.gov, "Texas Voter Registration," accessed December 23, 2025
  4. ↑ VoteTexas.gov, "What's allowed at the polling place?" accessed December 23, 2025
  5. ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "Election Day – Closing the Polling Place Checklist ," accessed December 23, 2025
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Texas Secretary of State, "Identification Requirements for Voting," accessed December 23, 2025
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 VoteTexas.gov, "Early Voting FAQ," accessed December 23, 2025
  9. ↑ VoteTexas.gov, "Completing and Mailing your Carrier Envelope," accessed December 23, 2025
  10. ↑ VoteTexas.gov, "Emergency Ballots due to Sickness or Physical Disability," accessed December 23, 2025
  11. ↑ Texas State Law Library, "Can a person convicted of a felony vote in Texas?" accessed December 23, 2025
  12. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Felon Voting Rights," August 19, 2025
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