How To Register To Vote In Texas Step By Step

The Texas Secretary of State will be airtight Fri, April 15th in observance of Skillful Friday. Holiday Closure Details.

Texas Voting

The Elections Segmentation of the Secretary of State's Part is open from eight:00 a.k. until 5:00 p.grand. weekdays. The Elections Division is besides open during the hours that the polls are open up on all uniform election dates (2nd Saturday in May and 1st Tuesday later on the 1st Monday in November), on the principal and primary runoff election dates (1st Tuesday in March of even-numbered years and 2nd Tuesday in April following the primary), and the dates on which special statewide and federal elections may exist ordered. Answers to questions on election law and procedures may be obtained by telephoning the Elections Division toll-gratis at 1.800.252.VOTE (8683) or direct at 512.463.5650.

Thank yous for your interest in Texas elections. Please call the Elections Division staff if we can be of help.

Who tin can vote in Texas?

To be eligible to register to vote in Texas, a person must exist:

A United States denizen;
A resident of the Texas county in which application for registration is made;
At least xviii years old on Election 24-hour interval;
Not finally convicted of a felony, or, if so convicted must have (1) fully discharged the sentence, including whatsoever term of incarceration, parole, or supervision, or completed a period of probation ordered by any courtroom; or (two) been pardoned or otherwise released from the resulting disability to vote; and
Non adamant past a final judgment of a court exercising probate jurisdiction to be (1) totally mentally incapacitated; or (2) partially mentally incapacitated without the right to vote.

How do you register?

Registering to vote is piece of cake in Texas. It doesn't fifty-fifty require a stamp! Official applications to annals to vote are postage-paid by the Land of Texas.

In virtually Texas counties, the County Tax Assessor-Collector is also the Canton Voter Registrar. In some counties, the County Clerk or County Elections Ambassador registers voters. You lot may obtain an application from the County Voter Registrar's office, the Secretary of State's Office, libraries, many post offices, or high schools. From our website, yous may asking that we send you an official, postage-paid application. Or, you may download an informal awarding, but you volition exist required to braze a stamp before mailing. You may likewise register to vote when you utilize for or renew your commuter's license.

Read the instructions on the grade, fill up it out and mail it postage-free to the County Voter Registrar, or hand-deliver it to the Canton Voter Registrar's function.

Yous must be at least 17 years and ten months of age on the date you apply. If for whatsoever reason you cannot register yourself, with your permission, your spouse, parent or kid may fill out and sign an awarding for you if that person is a registered voter or has practical for voter registration. This person is known as your "amanuensis."

The application must be received in the County Voter Registrar'due south office or postmarked thirty days before an election in order for y'all to be eligible to vote in that election. Yous will receive a voter registration certificate in the mail later on the Canton Voter Registrar has candy your voter registration application. Upon receipt of the voter registration certificate, sign it, fold it and keep in it in your wallet and take it to the polls with you when you lot vote.

All voters who registered to vote in Texas must provide a Texas driver's license number or personal identification number issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety or the concluding four digits of your social security number. If you have non been issued any of these numbers, then you must state that fact on the application past checking the designated box.

What if I don't accept a driver'due south license, personal identification number, OR a social security number? Can I all the same register to vote in Texas?

A voter who has non been issued a driver'due south license or social security number may annals to vote, but such voter must submit proof of identification when presenting himself/herself for voting or with his/her postal service-in ballots, if voting past postal service. These voters' names are flagged on the official voter registration listing with the annotation of "ID." The "ID" notation instructs the poll worker to request a proper form of identification from these voters when they nowadays themselves for voting, unless they are a voter with a permanent exemption on the voter registration certificate. The voter must present one of the seven (7) acceptable forms of identification:

Texas driver license issued by the Texas Department of Public Condom (DPS)
Texas Election Identification Certificate issued by DPS
Texas personal identification card issued by DPS
Texas concealed handgun license issued by DPS
U.s.a. military identification carte containing the person'due south photograph
United states citizenship document containing the person'south photograph
United states passport

Voter registration certificate

Once you employ, a voter registration certificate (proof of registration) will be mailed to y'all within xxx days.
Check your certificate to be sure all information is correct. (If there is a fault, make corrections and return it to the voter registrar immediately.)
If yous lose your certificate, notify your County Voter Registrar in writing to receive a new one.
You lot will automatically receive a new document every two years, if you haven't moved from the address at which you are registered.

If you motion within the canton

If you motion inside the aforementioned county simply become to the Secretarial assistant of Country's web site and change your address online or promptly notify the County Voter Registrar, in writing, of your new address by:

correcting your current voter registration certificate on the back and returning it to the Canton Voter Registrar;
filling out a new voter registration application form and checking the "modify" box; or
making simultaneous changes to your driver'due south license and voter registration when you apply for or update your driver's license.

You volition receive a new certificate with your new address. Yous will be able to vote in your new precinct 30 days after your change of accost is submitted. If yous miss the borderline (xxx days before an election), you may vote in your former precinct every bit long every bit you lot yet reside in the political subdivision conducting the election.

Your residence is located in a specific "precinct," which is an surface area inside the county. There are many precincts inside a canton. The place where yous will vote on Ballot Twenty-four hours is located in your precinct. There may be combined precincts in social club to accommodate joint local elections; therefore, in some elections you may vote exterior your designated precinct. The County Clerk or Canton Elections Ambassador tin requite you the specific location of your polling identify, or you can check on-line to see if the County Clerk or Elections Administrator has that information posted. The Secretary of Country'south Office may likewise provide polling place information at the "Where do I vote" link on its webpage prior to the primary, primary runoff and Nov uniform ballot date elections.

If y'all move to another county

You must re-annals! Fill out a new application and mail it, or take it in person, to the Voter Registrar of your new county. Y'all may not register online if you movement from 1 canton to another. You will exist registered 30 days after your awarding is submitted. Yous volition receive a new document.

After changing residence to another canton, a person may be eligible to vote a "limited" election in his/her new county of residence on candidates or issues mutual to the erstwhile and new counties. A "limited" election may be voted only during early voting by personal appearance or by mail service (not on Election Twenty-four hours) if:

the person would accept been eligible to vote in the county of old residence on Election Day if still residing in that county;
the person is registered to vote in the county of old residence at the fourth dimension the person offers to vote in the county of new residence; and
a voter registration for the person in the canton of new residence is non effective on or before Election Day.

Name change

Promptly notify the County Voter Registrar, in writing, of the name change using the same steps equally for IF YOU Movement Within THE Canton. Y'all volition receive a new certificate 30 days after your proper name change notice is submitted. You may go on to vote during this period. If yous exercise not take your certificate in hand, y'all may sign an affidavit at the polls and present a form of identification.

Usually Asked Questions From Voters:

Q. Who is my County Voter Registrar?

A. Most often in Texas, your County Voter Registrar is the Canton Tax Assessor-Collector. However, if your County Commissioners Court has established the position of County Elections Administrator and a County Elections Ambassador has been appointed, so the County Elections Administrator is the County Voter Registrar. A County Commissioners Court may also transfer the duties of voter registrar from the County Tax Assessor-Collector to the County Clerk; in this case, the County Clerk is your County Voter Registrar. If yous call whatever of these officials or the County Courthouse (the numbers should be under your County's name in the telephone directory), y'all will be directed to your County Voter Registrar.

Q. Where do I vote?

A. Polling places are usually listed in your local newspapers in the weeks before the ballot. Your County Clerk or Canton Elections Administrator and local political subdivisions (schoolhouse districts, cities, water districts, etc.) may also have websites with a listing of where polling places are located. Call your Canton Clerk, County Elections Administrator, or local political subdivision conducting the election in order to observe your polling location. The Secretary of State's Office may also provide polling identify information at the "Where practice I vote" link on its webpage prior to the master, primary runoff and Nov uniform ballot date elections.

Q. What is "early voting?"

A. "Early on voting" is a way to cast your election earlier Ballot Day either in person or by mail.

Early Voting In person - Call your County Clerk or Canton Elections Administrator or the local political subdivision conducting the ballot for early voting dates, hours and polling places.
Early Voting By mail - If you will be: (1) out of the county during early voting and on Election Twenty-four hours; (2) historic period 65 or older; (3) sick or disabled; or (iv) confined to jail, yous can print an application for a election past postal service (PDF) from our website and mail information technology to your Early on Voting Clerk.

For more information, Contact:

Secretary of State'due south Office cost-gratuitous at ane.800.252.VOTE (8683)
Your local Canton Clerk (will be listed in the blue pages of your telephone book)
Your local Canton Elections Administrator
Your County Voter Registrar (Tax Assessor-Collector)

Secretary of State
Elections Division
P.O. Box 12060
Austin, Texas 78711-2060
512.463.5650 or
1.800.252.VOTE (8683)
Fax 512.475.2811
TTY seven.1.i

Federal Election Committee
999 East Street, N.Due west.
Washington, D.C. 20463
1.800.424.9530

Texas Ethics Commission
P.O. Box 12070
Austin, Texas 78711-2070
512.463-5800
1.800.325.8506

Republican Party of Texas
211 East seventh St., #915
Austin, Texas 78701
512.477.9821

Texas Democratic Party
1106 Lavaca St., #100
Austin, Texas 78701
512.478.9800

Libertarian Political party of Texas
1111 Congress Ave. Suite 400
Austin, Texas 78701
800.422.1776

Light-green Political party of Texas
P.O. Box 271080
Houston, TX 77277-1080
210-471-1791

Rev: 4/eight/13