How to Vote in Texas 2026: Dates, Voter ID and Early Voting

Last updated: Oct. 25, 2026

This guide summarizes official Texas election rules. For your situation, check with your county elections office or the Secretary of State.

Part of the Politics Elections How to vote guides.

Texas Election Day: Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026

Polls in Texas are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, according to the Texas Secretary of State. In-person voters need one of seven forms of photo ID, or a sworn declaration and a supporting document if they cannot reasonably get one.

The early voting period in Texas is Monday, Oct. 19, through Friday, Oct. 30. The deadlines to register and to apply for a mail ballot have passed.

Key dates for the Nov. 3, 2026 election

Deadline or event	Date
Registration deadline	Monday, Oct. 5 (passed)
Early voting	Monday, Oct. 19, through Friday, Oct. 30
Mail ballot request	Must be received by Friday, Oct. 23 (passed)
Election Day	Tuesday, Nov. 3, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Mail ballot, no postmark	Must arrive by 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3
Mail ballot, postmarked	Postmarked by 7 p.m. Nov. 3 and received by 5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4
Fix-it deadline	Monday, Nov. 9, the sixth day after Election Day. Fix a mail ballot defect, or show ID after a provisional vote.

Different deadlines apply to some overseas and military voters. Check the Secretary of State’s dates page for details.

Voter ID in Texas

Texas voters who have one of these seven photo IDs must show it to vote in person:

Texas driver license issued by the Department of Public Safety (DPS)
Texas Election Identification Certificate issued by DPS
Texas personal identification card issued by DPS
Texas handgun license issued by DPS
U.S. military ID card with the voter’s photo
U.S. citizenship certificate with the voter’s photo
U.S. passport (book or card)

Expired IDs

Voters ages 18 to 69 may use an ID that expired no more than four years earlier. Voters 70 or older may use an ID expired for any length of time if it is otherwise valid. The citizenship certificate does not expire.

No photo ID: the Reasonable Impediment Declaration

A voter who does not have one of the seven IDs and cannot reasonably get one may sign a Reasonable Impediment Declaration at the polls. The voter must also show one supporting document, original or copy:

A government document showing the voter’s name and an address, including the voter registration certificate
A current utility bill
A bank statement
A government check
A paycheck
A certified birth certificate from a U.S. state or territory, or a court-admissible document confirming birth

The declaration lists impediments such as lack of transportation, disability or illness, work schedule, family responsibilities, a lost or stolen ID, or an ID applied for but not yet received. Making a false statement on the declaration can be prosecuted as perjury.

Other ID situations

A voter who has an acceptable photo ID but did not bring it can vote a provisional ballot, then show the ID to the county voter registrar within six calendar days after Election Day. The voter can also leave and come back with the ID before polls close.
Voters with a disability can apply to the county voter registrar for a permanent exemption, with documentation from the Social Security Administration or the Department of Veterans Affairs.
If the name on the ID is “substantially similar” to the name on the voter list, the voter can still vote after signing an affidavit.

Where to vote on Election Day

Where a Texan votes on Election Day depends on the county. Counties in the state’s Countywide Polling Place Program let voters use any vote center in the county. Harris, Dallas, Tarrant, Bexar and Travis counties are approved for the program for Nov. 3.

In other counties, voters must vote at the polling place for their assigned precinct. The precinct number appears on the voter registration certificate, next to the birth year.

The Secretary of State’s My Voter Portal shows Election Day locations starting two days before Election Day. County election offices also post locations. The Secretary of State keeps a list of county election offices.

Harris County: HarrisVotes.com
Dallas County: DallasCountyVotes.org

Early voting in person

The early voting period is Oct. 19 through Oct. 30. During early voting, a registered voter may vote at any early voting location in their county of residence. The same photo ID rules apply.

Counties set early voting hours. Harris and Dallas counties list 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for Monday, Oct. 26, through Friday, Oct. 30. Dallas County notes that times are subject to change.

Voting by mail

Texas allows voting by mail only for voters who meet one of these conditions:

Will be away from their county on Election Day and during early voting
Are sick or have a disability
Expect to give birth within three weeks before or after Election Day
Are 65 or older on Election Day
Are confined in jail but otherwise eligible, or under involuntary civil commitment

The application deadline for Nov. 3 has passed. Voters who are 65 or older or have a disability may use one application to request mail ballots for all county elections in a calendar year.

ID numbers on the mail ballot envelope

The carrier envelope asks for a Texas driver license, personal ID or Election Identification Certificate number, or the last four digits of the voter’s Social Security number. A voter who has none of these numbers checks a box stating that.

Returning a mail ballot

A mail ballot can be returned to the county’s early voting clerk by mail or by common or contract carrier. A voter can also hand-deliver their own ballot to the early voting clerk’s office on Election Day while polls are open.

Hand delivery requires an acceptable form of ID, under the Texas Election Code. Anyone who helps a voter with a mail ballot must list their name and address on the carrier envelope.

Tracking and fixing a mail ballot

The Ballot by Mail Tracker in My Voter Portal shows a ballot’s status. It asks for the voter’s name, date of birth, last four digits of the Social Security number and Texas driver license or DPS ID number.

An ID number problem can be fixed online in the tracker. Other defects, such as a missing signature, can be corrected with the county’s Corrective Action Form by the sixth day after Election Day.

A voter who received a mail ballot can still vote in person by surrendering it at the polls. Without the ballot to surrender, the voter casts a provisional ballot.

Who can vote and how to check your registration

To register in Texas, a person must be a U.S. citizen, live in the county and be 18 by Election Day. A person convicted of a felony may be eligible after completing the sentence, probation and parole.

People a probate court has declared totally mentally incapacitated, or partially incapacitated without the right to vote, are not eligible.

Voters can check their status on the Secretary of State’s Am I Registered? page.

According to the Secretary of State, a voter registration application filled out online must be printed and sent to the county voter registrar. Registered voters who moved or changed their name can update their record online through Texas.gov.

Official sources

Common questions

Can a Texas voter use an expired driver license?

Yes, if it expired no more than four years earlier for voters ages 18 to 69. Voters 70 or older may use one expired for any length of time if it is otherwise valid.

Can a mail ballot be dropped off early in Texas?

No. Texas law allows a voter to hand-deliver a marked mail ballot only on Election Day, while polls are open, at the early voting clerk’s office, with ID.

Related guides

Sources: Texas Secretary of State (VoteTexas.gov); Harris County and Dallas County elections offices; Texas Election Code. Checked Oct. 25, 2026.

How to Vote in Texas: 2026 Election Guide