Texas Absentee Voter Guide

Military and overseas voters should check out the Overseas Vote Foundation.  Long Distance Voter's forms and deadlines should only be used by voters with US mailing addresses.

Mail-in Deadlines

General Election: Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Voter Registration

You're eligible to vote in Texas if

• You are a United States citizen;
• You are legally registered to vote in Texas;
• You are at least 18 years old on Election Day;
• You are not a convicted felon (you may be eligible to vote if you have completed your sentence, probation, and parole); and
• You have not been declared by a court of law to be either totally mentally incapacitated or partially mentally incapacitated without the right to vote.

How to register to vote:

• Recommended: Use our Voter Registration Widget.  Enter your information, print and sign the completed form, and mail it to the address printed on the form. 
• You can also use Texas's voter registration form.  Mail your completed form to your County Voter Registrar.

ID requirements for first-time voters:

You must put your Texas driver's license or a social security number on your voter registration form. If you do not have either of these numbers, you must include a copy of your ID with your form.  If you forget you'll need to provide ID the first time you vote.  Acceptable forms of ID include a copy of a current and valid ID that shows your name OR a copy of a current utility bill; bank statement; government check; paycheck; or other government document that shows your name and address.

Voter registration verification:

You should receive written confirmation that your voter registration was processed in 2-3 weeks.  Don't panic if you never receive your voter registration card: you don't actually need it to vote.  If you not sure if your registration was processed - or if you simply can't remember if you're register to vote - you can use the voter registration verification tools here.

Absentee Voting

You may vote by absentee ballot in Texas if:

• You will be away from your county on during the early voting period AND on election day;
• You are sick or disabled;
• You are 65 years of age or older on Election Day; or
• You are confined in jail, but eligible to vote.

Texas's early voting period begins 17 days before the election (October 18, 2008) and ends 4 days before the election (October 31, 2008)

How to apply for your absentee ballot:

You can start applying for an absentee ballot 60 days before the election.  Download and complete the Texas application for an absentee ballot.  Mail, fax, or hand-deliver your completed application to your County Clerk. Be sure to write "Early Voting Clerk" on the envelope.  If you hand-deliver your application, it must be delivered before the start of the early voting period (17 days before the election).  Once early voting has started, absentee ballot applications will only be accepted by mail, common or contract carrier, or by fax.  

ID requirements for absentee voters:

You do not need to provide ID if you have already voted at least once in Texas.  If you are a first time voter and you did not put your drivers license number or Social Security number on your voter registration form then you must include a copy of your ID with your absentee ballot application (you are exempt from this requirement if you included this document with your voter registration form).  Acceptable forms of ID include: a state issued driver's license or state ID card that shows your name (a card issued by another state is fine, even if it's expired); any other photo ID that shows your name; a US passport, US birth certificate, or US citizenship papers; OR a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows your name and Texas address 

Emergency absentee ballots:

If you experience a death in your family on or after the third day before an election - and you can no longer vote in person - you can request an Emergency Absentee Ballot.  You must hand-deliver your Emergency Absentee Ballot Application to your Early Voting Clerk on or after the 3rd day before election day and before 5pm the day before the election.

Absentee ballot instructions:

Fill out your ballot, sign where indicated, put a stamp on it, and then mail your absentee ballot back to your County Clerk.  Your absentee ballot must be received by the close of polls on Election Day.

State Contact Information