How to vote by mail or vote early in Texas
How to vote by mail or vote early in Texas
Because the Texas Supreme Court ruled that “lack of immunity to COVID-19” is not an acceptable reason to vote absentee in Texas, your best bet to avoid crowds on election day is to vote early, rather than by mail.
HOWEVER, in the same ruling, the court acknowledged that county election clerks have no duty to question or investigate the disability of voters who claim it.
October 5th is the LAST DAY to register or to correct your registration.
Check your Texas voter registration NOW to make sure everything is up to date and you are still on the voter rolls here: https://teamrv-mvp.sos.texas.gov/MVP/mvp.do
Early voting
Early voting begins in Texas on October 13th, and ends on October 30th.
Registered and eligible voters may vote at ANY early voting location located in the county of residence.
Starting October 11th, you will be able to find early voting locations here:
You can also contact your early voting clerk or elections administrator to ask about early voting locations. You can find their information by county here: https://www.sos.texas.gov/elections/voter/county.shtml
Texas has strict voter ID requirements, and you will need to bring a photo ID in order to cast a ballot, OR bring acceptable non-photo supporting ID and sign a Reasonable Impediment Declaration explaining why you do not have and cannot get a photo ID.
Acceptable forms of photo ID:
Texas Driver 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)
Acceptable forms of non-photo, supporting ID, which you will need to bring if you do not have any of the above:
a government document that shows the voter’s name and an address, including the voter’s voter registration certificate
a current utility bill
a recent bank statement
a government check;
a recent paycheck;
a certified birth certificate from a U.S. state or territory
a document confirming birth admissible in a court of law which establishes the voter’s identity (which may include a foreign birth document)
Reasonable Impediments (that is, acceptable reasons why you do not and cannot get a photo ID) are:
lack of transportation
disability or illness
lack of birth certificate or other documents needed to obtain acceptable photo ID
work schedule
family responsibilities
lost or stolen ID
acceptable form of photo ID applied for but not received
For more information on voter ID laws in Texas, visit https://www.votetexas.gov/register-to-vote/need-id.html
VOTING BY MAIL
You can apply for an absentee ballot for the General Election starting September 4th.
Remember, Texas does not consider a lack of immunity to COVID-19 infection to be a disability, so make sure you are
Step 1: Apply for your absentee ballot
To be eligible to vote early by mail in Texas, you must:
Once you've completed your North Carolina mail-in ballot request form, you have 4 options for returning it to your county board’s office:
be 65 years or older
be disabled
be out of the county on election day and during the period for early voting by personal appearance (meaning if you’re in town for early voting, you are expected to vote then— NOT absentee)
be confined in jail, but otherwise eligible
If you qualify, here is how to apply for your absentee ballot:
1. Complete, print, and sign (by hand, no digital signatures!) this form: https://webservices.sos.state.tx.us/forms/5-15f.pdf
If you do not have a printer, you can use this online form to ask that an absentee ballot application be sent to you by mail: https://webservices.sos.state.tx.us/vrrequest/bbm.asp
2. Complete Sections 1 through 8.
3. Sign and Date Section 10.
4. If you were unable to sign the application and someone witnessed your signature, that person must complete Section 11.
5. If someone helped you complete the application or mailed the application for you, that person must complete Section 11.
Once you've completed your Texas mail-in ballot request form, you have 4 options for returning it to your early voting clerk:
Mail it (remember to add postage!)
• If you printed the application you must place it in your own envelope and add postage.
• If you ordered the application online and it was mailed to you, fold the application in half, moisten top tab, seal and add postage.
Fax it if a fax machine is available in the early voting clerk’s office — contact your early voting clerk for confirmation— and then mail or drop off the hard copy to your early voting clerk’s office within 4 business days
Submit a scanned copy (no pictures) of the completed and signed application to the early voting clerk via email, and then mail or drop off the hard copy to your early voting clerk’s office within 4 business days
Drop it off in person
You can find your early voting clerk’s ’s address, fax number, email, and office location by county here: https://www.sos.texas.gov/elections/voter/county.shtml
Your application for an absentee ballot must be RECEIVED (not just postmarked!) by October 23rd.
Step 2: Vote and return your ballot
Once you receive your absentee ballot, follow the instructions that your county elections official provides with your ballot carefully to make sure it will be counted.
Absentee ballots must be RECEIVED by your early voting clerk no later than 12:00 PM, November 4th, AND must be postmarked on or before November 3rd.
If it is postmarked on November 3rd, but it arrives after 12:00 PM on November 4th, it will not be counted. SEND IT EARLY
Make sure that you add postage to your return envelope if necessary.
For more information on voting in Texas, visit https://www.votetexas.gov/faq/index.html