TEXAS

Voter Registration Deadline: 30 days before Election Day.

2024 Election Information

Primary Election: March 5, 2024

• Registration Deadline: February 5
• Mail Ballot Application Deadline: February 23 (received, not postmarked)

General Election: November 5, 2024

• Registration Deadline: October 7
• Mail Ballot Application Deadline: October 25 (received, not postmarked)

More election information at:

votetexas.gov

Registration form (to be printed and returned to election officials) available at:

vrapp.sos.state.tx.us/index.asp

Students have a decision about where to register to vote.

You have a right to register to vote at the address you consider the place where you live, whether that is your family’s home or the place where you attend school. You should update your registration anytime this home address changes.

You may only be registered and vote in one location.

All voters will be asked for ID when voting in person. If your photo ID has expired within the last four years, you may still use it as an acceptable photo ID for voting. If you are over the age of 70, you may use an expired photo ID for voting no matter how long it has been expired if the information on the ID is otherwise valid. Please note, a U.S. citizenship certificate does not expire and may be used at any time. Acceptable photo IDs include the following:

• Texas driver’s license or personal ID card issued by the Department of Public Safety (DPS)
• Handgun license issued by DPS
• Election ID Certificate issued by DPS (For more information on obtaining an Election ID certificate, please visit: https://www.dps.texas.gov/section/driver-license/election-identification-certificate-eic)
• U.S. military ID containing the person’s photograph
• U.S. citizenship certificate containing the person’s photograph
• U.S. passport

If you do not have one of the above forms of photo ID, you may still cast a regular ballot if you sign a Reasonable Impediment Declaration and present a supporting form of ID. Supporting forms of ID are the following:

• Copy or original of a government document that shows the voter’s name and an address, including the voter’s voter registration certificate;
• Copy of or original current utility bill;
• Copy of or original bank statement;
• Copy of or original government check;
• Copy of or original paycheck; or
• Copy of or original of (a) a certified domestic (from a U.S. state or territory) birth certificate or (b) a document confirming birth admissible in a court of law which establishes the voter’s identity (which may include a foreign birth document).

More information about Texas’s voter ID law is available at: votetexas.gov/voting/need-id.html.

Make a plan. Look up your voting site and hours at:

teamrv-mvp.sos.texas.gov/MVP/mvp.do

By Mail: Texas requires an excuse to vote by mail. You are eligible to vote by mail if you (1) will be away from your county on Election Day and during the in-person early voting period, (2) are sick or have a disability, (3) are at least 65 years old on Election Day, (4) expect to give birth within 3 weeks before or after Election Day, (5) are civilly committed, or (6) are confined in jail and not serving a sentence for a felony conviction. You may access a printable mail-in ballot application here.

• Application for Absentee Ballot Deadline: All applications must be received by the county clerk no later than the 11th day before election day by the close of regular business or noon, whichever is later. If the 11th day is a weekend or holiday, the deadline is the first preceding business day. You may submit applications by mail, email, or fax; however, if emailed or faxed, then the original hard copy of the application MUST be mailed and received by the early voting clerk no later than the 4th business day after the clerk received the fax or email.
• Completed Absentee Ballot Return Deadline: Completed absentee ballots may be returned in person or by mail. Those returned in person must be taken to the early voting clerk’s office while polls are open on Election Day. You will be required to show an acceptable voter ID if returning your ballot in person. Ballots returned by mail must be postmarked  by 7:00pm on Election Day and received no later than 5:00pm the day after Election Day.

The absentee ballot application requires the voter to provide a DPS-issued driver’s license number, personal identification number, or Election Identification Certificate Number, or the last four digits of the voter’s Social Security number. Voters without one of these numbers must check the provided box to indicate that they lack such identification. In an abundance of caution, voters with both a DPS-issued identification number and a Social Security number should provide both numbers on the application form.

For more information about Texas’s vote-by-mail rules, visit: votetexas.gov/voting-by-mail

Early In-person: Voters in Texas may vote early in person generally starting the 17th day before Election Day (if that is a weekend, early voting starts on the next business day). The early voting period ends the 4th day before Election Day. Different start dates apply for certain elections. Contact your county’s election official for early voting locations and hours.

Election Day: Voting sites will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day. If you are in line by close of polls, then you have the right to vote.

Curbside Voting: Under Texas law, curbside voting is available upon request during the early voting period and on Election Day for voters who are physically unable to enter the polling place without assistance or likelihood of injury to their health. The Secretary of State’s office recommends that voters who plan to vote curbside call their county election officials in advance.

Does Registering to Vote Affect My Federal Financial Aid?

Where you register to vote will not affect federal financial aid such as Pell Grants, Perkins or Stafford loans, or your dependency status for FAFSA.

Does Registering to Vote Affect My Status as a Dependent on My Parents’ Taxes?

Being registered to vote at a different address from your parents does not prevent them from claiming you as a dependent on their taxes.

Does Registering to Vote Impact My Tuition Status?

Being deemed out-of-state for tuition purposes does not prevent you from choosing to register to vote in your campus community.

Will Registering to Vote in Texas Affect My Driver’s License or Car Registration?

As a full-time student in Texas, you may be required to obtain a Texas driver’s license and update your car’s registration, regardless of whether you register to vote there. For more information, you may wish to contact the Department of Public Safety.