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2024 Texas Elections

Here’s how to register to vote in Texas before the Oct. 7 deadline



Our guide can help you determine how to register, who is eligible to vote, whether you’re still registered and more in advance of Election Day.





By María Méndez


Oct. 4, 20244 PM Central






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          Texas Voter Registration Application in Houston, on April 5, 2024.
        

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 Joseph Bui for The Texas Tribune
        










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Monday, Oct. 7, is the deadline in Texas to register to vote to be able to participate in the 2024 general election, where voters will cast their ballots on everything from the presidential race between Vice President Kamala Harris and Former President Donald Trump to members of Congress, the Texas Legislature and other state and local elected offices.
Texas is one of a handful of states with a voter registration deadline 30 days before the election. Here’s what you need to know about checking your status and registering to vote before the end of the day on Monday.
How do I check if I’m registered to vote?
You can check to see if you’re registered and verify your information on the Texas secretary of state’s website.











You’ll need one of the following three combinations to log in:

Your Texas driver’s license number and date of birth.
Your first and last names, date of birth and county you reside in.
Your date of birth and Voter Unique Identifier number, which appears on your voter registration certificate.

Who can register to vote in Texas?
U.S. citizens in Texas can register to vote in the election if they are 18 or older or if they will be 18 by Election Day, which is Nov. 5.
Citizens in the state cannot register to vote if they have been finally convicted of a felony and are still serving a sentence, including parole or probation, or if they have been deemed mentally incapacitated by a court. Here are more specifics on eligibility.





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Texas elections law says state prison inmates who are appealing their convictions are eligible to register, but the Secretary of State's office recommends first consulting a lawyer because when a final conviction happens may differ from case to case, according to KUT News. Read more here.
How do I register to vote?
There are several options to submit a last-minute application by the deadline:

Visit the voter registrar office in your county (find yours here)
Register through a volunteer deputy voter registrar (organizations like local chapters of the League of Women Voters often hold voter registration events)
Mail the application to the voter registrar in your county

If you decide to mail an application, it must be postmarked by the Oct. 7 deadline for you to vote in the Nov. 5 election. You can request the postmark through employees at your local post office. Applications left in mailboxes or mail drop off boxes may not always be postmarked that same day.
You can find an application at county voter registrars’ offices and some post offices, government offices, or high schools. You can also print out the online application and mail it to the voter registrar in your county. This will require an envelope and postage like regular mail. Download your application here.











If your application is postmarked by Oct. 7 it will count toward the Nov. 5 deadline, even if it is received afterwards. To avoid any issues, some local voter registrars recommend completing or delivering an application in person if you're registering close to the deadline.
What if I have moved?
You must reside in a Texas county by the voter registration deadline to vote in the upcoming election unless you qualify for absentee voting. You can read more about absentee and mail-in voting here.
College students who are registered at a residence in Texas, such as a parent’s home, but are studying out of state can apply for absentee ballots. The deadline for a county to receive requests for absentee ballots is Oct. 25. Read more about mail-in voting here. Students studying in Texas who are from other states can also choose to register to vote in the state with their dorm or Texas address. Read more about student voting here.
Eligible people experiencing homelessness can vote, as long as they provide on their registration an address and description for where they are residing. If needed, their mailing address can be different, but a P.O. box address cannot be listed as a residence address.











Monday is also the last day to submit an address change for the midterm elections. You can report an address or name change online. You should do this if you’ve moved since the last time you voted, especially if you have moved to a different county or political subdivision or have legally taken a different name.
What do I do if I run into issues with my voter registration?
If a county suspects you have changed address but your registration has not been updated, you may be be placed on a “suspense list.” Voters placed on the suspense list can still vote if they update or confirm their address before the voter registration deadline for an election or fill out a “statement of residence” when voting, but they may have to vote at their previous polling location or vote on a limited ballot.
Limited ballots are available only during early voting at a “main early voting polling place,” which is usually the office of the elections administrator or county clerk who runs elections in your county. The main early voting polling place should be noted in a county’s list of early voting locations.
While the state conducts reviews of voter rolls to remove what officials suspect might be ineligible registrations, federal law prevents the state from removing registered voters within 90 days of a federal election unless the voter has died, been convicted of a felony or been declared mentally incapacitated.











If you have questions or concerns about your registration, you can find your county’s voter registration contact here.
Inside polling locations, there are typically “resolution desks” where poll workers can address registration issues.
You can also find more information on frequently asked questions from the secretary of state’s office at votetexas.gov.




    Voting FAQ: 2024 Elections
  





              When is the next election? What dates do I need to know?
            







              Election Day for the general election is November 5, and early voting will run from Oct. 21 to Nov. 1. The deadline to register to vote and/or change your voter registration address is Oct. 7. Applications to vote by mail must be received by your county of residence – not postmarked – by Oct. 25.
            







              What’s on the ballot for the general election?
            







              In addition to the president, eligible Texans have the opportunity to cast their ballots for many Texas officials running for office at the federal, state and local levels.

This includes representatives in the U.S. and Texas houses and the following elected offices:

-1 U.S Senator (Ted Cruz)

- 1 of 3 Railroad Commissioners 

- 15 State Senators

- 7 State Board of Education members

- 3 members of the Texas Supreme Court

- 3 members of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals

- 5 Chief Justices and various justices for Texas Courts of Appeals


Lower-level judges and local county offices will also appear on the ballot:

- Various district judges, including on criminal and family courts

- County Courts at Law

- Justices of the Peace

- District Attorneys

- County Attorneys 

- Sheriffs

- Constables

- Tax Assessor-Collectors
            







              How do I make sure I’m registered to vote?
            







              You can check to see if you’re registered and verify your information through the Texas Secretary of State’s website. You’ll need one of the following three combinations to log in: 
Your Texas driver’s license number and date of birth.
Your first and last names, date of birth and county you reside in.
Your date of birth and Voter Unique Identifier, which appears on your voter registration certificate.








              What if I missed the voter registration deadline?
            







              You must be registered to vote in a Texas county by Oct. 7 to vote in the Nov. 5 presidential election. You can still register for other elections.

If you’re registered but didn’t update your address by the deadline, you may still be able to vote at your previous voting location or on a limited ballot. (Voters are typically assigned precincts based on where they live. In most major counties, voters can vote anywhere on Election Day, but some counties require you vote within your precinct. If that is the case, you may have to return to your previous precinct. See which counties allow countywide Election Day voting here. You can usually find your precinct listed on your voter registration certificate or on when checking your registration online.)

If you moved from one county to another, you may be able to vote on a ballot limited to the elections you would qualify to vote in at both locations, such as statewide races. However, limited ballots are only available during early voting. Find your county election official here and contact them to ask about or request a limited ballot.
            







              What can I do if I have questions about voting?
            







              You can contact your county elections official or call the Texas Secretary of State's helpline at 1-800-252-VOTE (8683). A coalition of voting rights groups is also helping voters navigate election concerns through the 866-OUR-VOTE (687-8683) voter-protection helpline. The coalition also has hotlines available for voters who speaker other languages or have accessibility needs.

For help in Spanish, call 888-VE-Y-VOTA or 888-839-8682.

For help in Asian languages, call 888-API-VOTE or 888-274-8683.

For help in Arabic, call 888-YALLA-US or 888-925-5287.

For help in American Sign Language through a video, call 301-818-VOTE or 301-818-8683.

For help from Disability Rights Texas, call 888-796-VOTE or 888-796-8683.
            




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Information about the authors












                  María Méndez
                

Service and Engagement Reporter






                        mmendez@texastribune.org
                      







@anxious_maria









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Just moved to Texas for a great new job. Registering to vote was one of the first things I did. Come Election Day, I’m doing my part.