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How to vote in Texas

The deadlines for the Tuesday 3 November 2026 election, what identification you need, who may vote by mail, and how to check that you are registered. Every date below is quoted from the Texas Secretary of State's own table, with the link, because a wrong deadline on a voter guide is the worst mistake this site could make.

Register by Monday 5 October 2026. Early voting in person runs Monday 19 October 2026 to Friday 30 October 2026. Election day is Tuesday 3 November 2026.

The dates

Source for all of the above: Texas Secretary of State, Important 2026 Election Dates, sos.state.tx.us, read 2026-10-02. The state's own site carried the registration deadline as a notice across every page when this was checked.

If you are voting by mail, read this twice

Your application for a ballot by mail must be RECEIVED by Friday 23 October 2026. A postmark does not count.

The Secretary of State's table labels that row “Last Day to Apply for Ballot by Mail (Received, not Postmarked)” — the parenthesis is the state's own, not this site's emphasis (sos.state.tx.us). People have lost their vote to this distinction: an application posted on the deadline, arriving after it, is late. Post it early, or deliver it, or vote in person instead.

Then the completed ballot itself has a separate and later deadline. The state's wording for “Last day to Receive Ballot by Mail” is:

“Tuesday, November 3, 2026 (Election Day) at 7:00 p.m. if carrier envelope is not postmarked, OR Wednesday, November 4, 2026 (next business day after Election Day) at 5:00 p.m. if carrier envelope is postmarked by 7:00 p.m. at the location of the election on Election Day (unless overseas or military voter deadlines apply)”

sos.state.tx.us

In plain terms: if the carrier envelope is not postmarked it must be in the early voting clerk's hands by 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday 3 November 2026. If it is postmarked by 7:00 p.m. on election day, it may arrive as late as 5:00 p.m. the next business day, Wednesday 4 November 2026. Different deadlines apply to military and overseas voters; the state's note on that row says so, and the counties can say which applies to you.

Who may vote by mail in Texas

Texas restricts voting by mail to specific grounds. VoteTexas.gov, Voting by Mail Eligibility Requirements lists them as follows, verbatim (votetexas.gov, read 2026-10-02):

That is the list as published on the date given. Earlier summaries of Texas law, including ones still circulating, describe a different set of grounds — so this is quoted rather than paraphrased, and the link is the one to check if you are relying on it.

What identification you need to vote in person

VoteTexas.gov, Required Identification for Voting in Person lists seven acceptable forms of photo identification (votetexas.gov, read 2026-10-02):

On expiry, the state says:

“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.”

votetexas.gov

If you do not have one of those and cannot reasonably get one, the state's page describes filling out a Reasonable Impediment Declaration and presenting an alternative document — it gives a utility bill, a bank statement, a government cheque or a voter registration certificate as examples (votetexas.gov). Do not leave without asking: the declaration exists precisely so that a missing photo identification is not the end of it.

Check that you are registered

Being registered once is not the same as being registered now; Texas removes records. The Secretary of State runs a lookup that answers it instantly, by name, by driver licence number, or by the Voter Unique Identifier on your registration certificate:

Am I Registered? — Texas Secretary of State

Linked from the Secretary of State's own frequently-asked-questions page, votetexas.gov. You can also telephone the voter registrar for the county you live in. This site has no access to the voter roll and cannot check for you.

Your county runs the election

The state sets the deadlines; your county election authority sets the polling places, the hours, and where a mail ballot is sent. Two counties were checked against the state's dates for this page and both agree:

No county was found publishing a date that differs from the state's. Three of the five above are listed as a route to your local authority only — their own date pages were not read, and this page does not claim otherwise.

What this page does not do

This site grades records and cites sources. It does not tell you how to mark your ballot, and nothing on it should be read as asking you to support or oppose any candidate. The dates and the rules above are the mechanics, which are the same for everyone.