Harris County residents must register to vote by Oct. 11 to cast their votes in the Nov. 8 election, according to the office of Harris County Clerk Stan Stanart. The county also offers early voting from Oct. 24 through Nov. 4. For a list of early voting locations visit the county clerk's website Harris Votes. The site provides a search tool for registered voters to find their Election Day polling place and to view the ballot. Voter registration forms can be completed in person at any Harris County Tax Office location from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or mailed to: Mike Sullivan Tax Assessor-Collector P.O. Box 3527 Houston, Texas 77253-3527 Registration forms can be obtained from the Texas Secretary of State, requested via email at [email protected], or over the phone in English, Spanish, Vietnamese or Chinese at 713-274-8683. Applications are also available at U.S. Postal offices, libraries, high schools and government offices. According to the Harris County Tax Office, eligible voters in Texas must:
  • be 18 years of age or older;
  • be a U.S. citizen;
  • not have been determined by a final judgment of a court exercising probate jurisdiction to be: totally mentally incapacitated; or partially mentally incapacitated without the right to vote;
  • not have been finally convicted of a felony; or, if so convicted, must have: fully discharged the person’s sentence, including any term of incarceration, parole or supervision, or completed a period of probation ordered by any court; or been pardoned or otherwise released from the resulting disability to vote; and
  • be a resident of the county in which application for registration is made.
Identification must be presented at Texas polling locations. Acceptable forms of identification, according to the county clerk’s office, are:
  • Texas driver’s license issued by the Department of Public Safety
  • Texas personal identification card issued by DPS
  • Texas Election Identification Certificate
  • U.S. military identification card containing the person’s photograph
  • Texas license to carry a handgun issued by DPS
  • U.S. passport
  • U.S. citizenship certificate containing the person’s photograph
All forms of identification with an expiration date must be current, or expired within the past four years. Voters can apply for an Election Identification Certificate through the DPS at no charge. Call 512-424-2600 or visit http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/DriverLicense/electionID.htm to apply. Voters who do not present one of the acceptable forms of identification can vote if they sign and affirm a declaration of reasonable impediment and present one of the following:
  • A valid Voter Registration Certificate
  • An original certified birth certificate
  • An original or copy of a bank statement
  • An original or copy of a government check or paycheck
  • An original or copy of a current utility bill
  • An original or copy of a government document bearing the voter’s name and an address (original required if it contains a photograph).
Voters who cannot present any required forms of identification may vote provisionally. They will be required to sign an affidavit and must bring an approved photo identification to the Voter Registrar within six days after the election. The early voting locations and schedule can be found on the County Clerk’s election information website, www.harrisvotes.com. Registered voters can vote by mail if they will be away from their county of residence during the voting period; sick or disabled; 65 years of age or older; or in jail but eligible to vote. The last day to apply for a ballot to vote by mail is Oct. 28.