According to a press release, voters can vote by mail for the May 2 local elections postponed to Nov. 3 as well as the primary runoff elections postponed to July 14. Additionally, the deadline to apply to vote by a mail ballot for the primary runoff elections has been set for July 2.
County Elections Administrator John Oldham stressed that voters 65 and older should apply for a mail-in ballot to ensure their safety during the COVID-19 outbreak, per the release.
“Because persons in this age group are most susceptible to infection by the coronavirus, I would encourage them to vote by mail rather than vote in person during the early voting periods or on election day,” Oldham said in the press release.
The July primary runoff elections may include as many as five races for the Republican Party and as many as 11 races for the Democratic Party, per county elections data. A runoff occurs when a candidate does not receive more than 50% of the vote. The winners of the July 14 runoff election will move on to the Nov. 3 general election.
Entities in Sugar Land, Missouri City and the Katy area that have officially voted to postpone their local May 2 elections to Nov. 3 include Fort Bend ISD board of trustees, Katy City Council and the Katy ISD board of trustees. Missouri City City Council and Sugar Land City Council will vote April 6 and April 7, respectively, on this action. Additionally, Fulshear City Council does not have contested races for its local May elections, so council voted to not hold the election.
Here is more information about voting by mail, according to the Fort Bend County elections department and the Texas secretary of state.
Who is eligible to vote via mail:
- those 65 years of age or older;
- those with a disability;
- those expecting an absence from the county during early voting and election day; and
- those confined in jail and not finally convicted of a felony.
How to apply for a ballot by mail:
- Submit a signed, written request to the county via mail, fax or email attachment.
- The application is available here in English and here in Spanish.
- The mailing address is Fort Bend County Elections, 301 Jackson St., Richmond, TX 77469.
- The fax number is 281-341-4418.
- The email is [email protected].
Deadlines to apply for a ballot by mail
Note that those who already submitted an annual application to vote by mail for the March 3 primary election should automatically receive a mail-in ballot for the primary runoff election.
- July 14 primary runoffs: July 2
- Nov. 3 elections: Oct. 23
Primary runoff election dates to know
- Early in-person voting: July 6 -10
- Election day: July 14
November election dates to know
- Deadline to register to vote: Oct. 5
- Early in-person voting: Oct. 19-30
- Election Day: Nov. 3
