Texans have the chance to cast their votes for a U.S. senator, governor, state attorney general and dozens of other races during the Nov. 3 midterm election. To participate, voters must ensure they are registered to vote or have submitted a voter registration application by Oct. 5—30 days before Election Day.
Keep reading for information about Texas' election process, how to register to vote and how to check an existing voter registration. Texans can learn more about federal, state and local races at communityimpact.com/election.
What you need to know
Eligible Texans who are not yet registered to vote must submit a paper voter registration application by Oct. 5.
The application is available here and must be printed, signed and mailed to the applicant's local elections office. Texans can also contact or visit their local voter registrar, and applications can be found at libraries, high schools and most post offices, according to the secretary of state's office.
To be eligible to register to vote, an individual must:
Be a U.S. citizen and a Texas resident
Reside in the county they apply to vote in
Be at least 18 years old by Election Day
Not have been declared mentally incapacitated without the right to vote by a court
Convicted felons may be eligible to vote if they have completed their sentence, probation and parole, per the secretary of state. The Texas Constitution and other state laws prohibit people who are not U.S. citizens from voting in Texas elections.
Zooming in
Mailed applications must be postmarked by Oct. 5, and the secretary of state is encouraging prospective voters to send their applications "as soon as possible" to avoid delays. Changes made to the U.S. Postal Service's rules late last year mean that mail may be postmarked days after being dropped in a mailbox, Community Impact previously reported. To ensure a same-day postmark, customers can go to their local post office and request that their mail be hand-stamped for free, according to the USPS.
Texas does not offer online voter registration unless a resident is updating, renewing or replacing their state driver’s license or ID card through the Department of Public Safety.
Voters who are already registered may look up their voter registration record here. Registered voters can update their name and address online or by contacting their local voter registrar.
A voter's name, date of birth and information such as their county of residence and ZIP code; driver's license number; Social Security number or assigned voter registration number are required when looking up or updating registration information.
Voters who have moved or changed their name since their last time voting should update their registration, according to the secretary of state.
Something to note
When checking their registration, some voters may see their registration status listed as "suspense." This means that a county believes the voter's address has changed and needs confirmation of their address.
Per the secretary of state, a voter is placed on the suspense list if that person's voter registration certificate, a jury summons or other mail was returned as non-deliverable, or their local registrar received other information indicating an address change. In that case, a written notice is sent to the voter requesting confirmation of their current address.
If a voter on the suspense list does not update or confirm their address before Oct. 5, they will still be allowed to vote if they complete a "statement of residence" form when voting by mail or in-person.
Texans who moved counties since the last election and did not update their registration may be eligible to vote with a limited ballot, per the secretary of state. This includes "candidates and measures in common between your former and new county," such as federal and state-level races. Limited ballots are only available during early voting and cannot be cast on Election Day.
Dates to know
Oct. 5: Last day to register to vote or update information
Oct. 19: Early in-person voting begins
Oct. 23: Deadline to apply to vote by mail
Oct. 30: Early in-person voting ends
Nov. 3: Election Day
During early voting, registered voters can visit any polling place within their county of residence, according to the secretary of state. On Election Day, voters living in certain counties can vote at any polling place within their county of residence through the countywide polling place program. This includes the following counties in Community Impact's coverage areas: Bastrop, Brazoria, Collin, Comal, Dallas, Fort Bend, Harris, Hays, Tarrant, Travis and Williamson.
On the ballot
Dozens of federal, state and local races will appear on Texans' ballots this November. The federal and state seats up for election include:
A U.S. Senate race featuring Libertarian Ted Brown, Republican Ken Paxton and Democrat James Talarico
The race for governor, including Republican incumbent Greg Abbott, Libertarian Pat Dixon and Democrat Gina Hinojosa
The lieutenant governor race, featuring Libertarian Anthony Cristo, Democrat Vikki Goodwin, Green Party candidate Kevin McCormick and Republican incumbent Dan Patrick
The Texas attorney general race among Democrat Nathan Johnson, Republican Mayes Middleton and Libertarian Tom Oxford
The Texas comptroller race, featuring Libertarian V. Alonzo Echavarria-Garza, Democrat Sarah Eckhardt, Green Party candidate Shehla Faizi and Republican Don Huffines
The race for Texas land commissioner, including Republican incumbent Dawn Buckingham, Democrat Benjamin Flores and Libertarian Neill Snider
The Texas agriculture commissioner race, with Libertarian Austin R. Kelly, Republican Nate Sheets and Democrat Clayton Tucker
The Texas railroad commissioner race, featuring Republican Bo French, Libertarian Arthur DiBianca and Democrat Jon Rosenthal
All 38 U.S. House seats (by congressional district)
Four seats on the Texas Supreme Court (statewide)
Three seats on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals (statewide)
Three seats on Texas' 15th Court of Appeals (statewide)
16 state Senate seats (by legislative district)
All 150 state House seats (by legislative district)
Eight State Board of Education seats (by SBOE district)
