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Texas absentee and mail ballot guide
Texas absentee ballot overview
Absentee ballots and mail ballots are the same thing, and the process for getting one is straight forward.
- Request your ballot by the deadline
- Receive your in ballot in the mail
- Return your ballot by the deadline
Texas absentee deadlines
- Earliest day to apply: January 1
- Request deadline (online): N/A
- Request deadline (by mail): Received 11 days before Election Day
- Request deadline (in person): 11 days before Election Day
- Deadline to return your ballot (by mail): Postmarked by Election Day and received by the following business day.
- Deadline to return your ballot (in person): Received by Election Day
Texas absentee ballot rules
You can vote using an absentee ballot in Texas if:
- you are 65 years or older
- you are disabled
- you will be out of the county on Election Day and during the early voting period
- you are in jail but not yet convicted of a crime
Texas online ballot request
Texas does not allow you to request your ballot online.
Texas by-mail ballot request
- Download the Texas absentee ballot application.
- Fill out all of the required fields.
- Print the application.
- Sign and date your application. This is very important.
- Mail or hand-deliver your completed application directly to your local election office as soon as possible, but no later than the deadline.
- If it’s close to the deadline, call your local election office and see if they will let you submit your application via email or fax.
- The deadline to apply by mail is: Received 11 days before Election Day.
Texas in-person ballot request
- Visit your local election office.
- Ask the clerk to give you an absentee ballot application.
- Fill out all of the required fields.
- Sign and date your application.
- The deadline to apply in person is: 11 days before Election Day.
After you receive your ballot
- Carefully read and follow the instructions, and fill out all required fields.
- Sign and date the outside envelope.
- Mail or hand-deliver your ballot to your local election office.
- If you mail your ballot, it must be postmarked by Election Day and received by the following business day..
- If you hand-deliver your ballot, it must be received by Election Day.
- If you miss the deadline – or forget to sign the outside envelope – your vote will not be counted.
Texas absentee ballot ID requirements
- ID required when requesting a mail-in ballot: You must include your TX driver's license number, or state ID number, or the last four digits of your Social Security Number on your absentee ballot application. Additionally, the signature on your absentee ballot application will be compared to the signature on your voter registration card to ensure they match.
- ID required when returning a mail-in ballot: * If you return your voted ballot by mail, your local election official will compare your signature on the outside envelope to the one on your voter registration form to make sure they match. * If you return your ballot in person, you will need to show a government issued photo ID card. You cannot show a student ID card, even if the ID was issued by the University of Texas.
Local election office
Contact your local election office if you have questions.
Statewide election office
This is the statewide agency that is ultimately responsible for Texas elections. You can contact them with questions, but your local election office will probably respond faster.
Office of the Secretary of State Elections Division P.O. Box 12060 Austin, TX 78711‐2060
External resources
- Texas online voter registration
- Texas voter status lookup
- Texas absentee ballot tracker
- Texas polling place locator