How to Vote in Texas
New Capital encourages all eligible clients to cast their vote in the elections. Here is a comprehensive guide to voting options in Texas.
Can You Vote?
The basic requirements to register to vote are as follows:
be a citizen of the United States
be a resident of the county in which the application for registration is made
be at least 17 years and 10 months old (you must be 18 to vote)
not be finally convicted of a felony, of if a convicted felon, you must have fully discharged your punishment, including any incarceration, parole, supervision, period of probation or be pardoned
have not been declared mentally incompetent by final judgment of a court of law
Please note: the deadline to register by mail has lapsed. (October 5, 2020)
Check Your Voter Registration here.
Vote in Person
Vote on Election Day (November 3, 2020)
Voters registered in Texas can look up where to vote here.
Vote early. The early voting period runs from Tuesday, October 13, 2020 to Friday, October 30, 2020, but dates and hours may vary based on where you live. Dates and hours may vary based on location.
What to bring
You will be asked to show a photo ID to vote in Texas. Acceptable forms include: Texas driver's license issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS); Texas election ID certificate; Texas personal ID card; Texas handgun license; US military ID with photo; US citizenship certificate with photograph (doesn't need to be current); or a US passport. Forms must be current or expired for less than four years. 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.
Voters without ID: If you don't have an ID and cannot obtain one due to a reasonable impediment, you'll need to sign a sworn statement that there is a reason why you don't have any of the accepted IDs, and present one of the following: certified birth certificate; valid voter registration certificate; or a current utility bill, government check, bank statement or paycheck, or government document with your name and an address. If you meet these requirements and are eligible to vote, you may vote in the election.
If you don't have an ID and do not have a reasonable impediment to obtaining one or did not bring ID to the polling place, you may cast a provisional ballot. In order to have the provisional ballot counted, you will be required to visit the voter registrar's office within six (6) calendar days of the date of the election to either present one of the forms of photo ID or submit a temporary affidavit, or, if applicable, qualify for the disability exemption, in the presence of the county voter registrar while attesting to the fact that you do not have any of the required photo IDs.
Voting By Mail
Review the absentee ballot application and confirm that you meet the eligibility requirements for voting absentee.
Fill out the application completely.
Submit the request to your local election office. You should request your ballots as far in advance of the election as possible. The deadline to request a ballot by mail is (received by) Friday, October 23, 2020.
When your ballot arrives, read it carefully and follow the instructions to complete it and return it.
Your ballot must be postmarked by Tuesday, November 3, 2020 by 7:00 p.m. and received no later than Wednesday, November 4, 2020 by 5:00 p.m. Texas does not offer ballot status tracking. Contact your state election officials for additional information.
What is on the Ballot?
Learn more about what will be on your ballot by visiting the Ballotpedia.