Only three states conduct all elections by mail: Oregon, Washington and Colorado. As of Jan. 1, 2018, Texan voters can apply for a mail-in ballot if they are 65 years of age or older, disabled, out of the country during the voting period or confined to jail but otherwise eligible.

The Texas Legislature passed a bill revising the mail-in ballot rules during its 2017 regular session to protect the integrity of the voting process due to allegations of fraud. Mail-in ballots are intended to allow people who cannot make it to a polling location to still exercise their right to vote. Disabled and elderly voters’ applications are valid for one calendar year and must be re-submitted, according to the Secretary of State office's website.

In the Houston area, less than 3 percent of the total number of counted ballots were mailed in during the fall 2016 election. More information on the mail-in ballot process and forms to download can be found at the Secretary of State office's website.