Texas Voter Registration Deadline
The deadline to register to vote in Texas is Monday, October 5, 2026, 29 days before the November 3 election. A paper application must be delivered to your county voter registrar or postmarked by that day. There is no registration at the polls.
Texas is one of 8 states without full online registration. You can get a paper application from your county registrar, a post office, a library, or VoteTexas.gov, which will mail you one. The one online route is through the Department of Public Safety: when you renew or change the address on your driver license online, you can register or update your voter record at the same time.
Key facts
- Register by Monday, October 5, 2026. Early voting runs October 19 to 30, and Election Day is Tuesday, November 3.
- You need one of 7 photo IDs to vote in person, or a signed Reasonable Impediment Declaration and a supporting document.
- Only some voters may vote by mail: 65 and older, disabled, out of the county, and a few others. Applications must arrive by October 23.
- A DPS software error left at least 200,000 registrations unprocessed in 2026. Check your status before October 5.
- Oct 5
- Last day to register for November 3
- 7
- Photo IDs accepted at the polls
- 12 days
- Early voting window, October 19 to 30
- 200,000+
- Registrations stuck in the 2026 DPS error
Registration takes effect 30 days after your application is accepted, which is why the deadline falls a month out. Your registration does not expire as long as you stay at the same address (VoteTexas.gov).
Am I Registered to Vote in Texas?
Look yourself up on the Secretary of State’s Am I Registered? search. You can search with your Texas driver license number, your voter ID number, or your name, county and date of birth. If you do not show up, call your county voter registrar before October 5.
Check even if you have voted for years. Texas removes voters who move or do not respond to address notices, and this year a vendor error left many new DPS registrations out of county rolls. A few minutes now is easier than a provisional ballot on November 3.
The 2026 Registration Backlog
If you registered or changed your address through DPS since October 2025, your registration may not have reached your county. A third-party vendor’s software update in October 2025 cut off parts of the records DPS sends to county registrars. Votebeat counted at least 200,000 affected voters as of September 26, 2026 (Votebeat).
The DPS portal has been used by more than 6 million people since it opened in 2020 after a six-year legal fight, Votebeat reported. The Texas Tribune tallied at least 178,100 delayed applications in the 7 counties below as of September 24 (Texas Tribune). DPS said the error was fixed. Secretary of State Robert Howden said the backlog “has to be fixed,” and his office offered grants to help counties pay for the extra work. Counties are working through the records now, so these counts are falling.
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Dallas | 68000 |
| Collin | 40000 |
| Travis | 32000 |
| Williamson | 18000 |
| Hays | 8200 |
| Lubbock | 7400 |
| Cameron | 4500 |
Source: Texas Tribune, September 24, 2026, from county officials. Counts are approximate and change as counties process records. Other counties, including Harris, also reported delays.
If you are affected, you can still vote. Votebeat reported that a voter whose DPS registration was never processed can cast a provisional ballot, which counts once officials confirm the registration was submitted through DPS before the deadline. The safer path is to check your status now and, if you are missing, register again on paper by October 5.
Texas Voting Rules and Fights to Watch
As of September 28, 2026
- DPS voter registration records stuck since October 2025 Agency action, counties still processing
September 26, 2026: at least 200,000 affected; voters whose DPS registration was not processed can cast a provisional ballot that counts once officials confirm it. (source)
- SB 1 ID number on mail ballot applications and envelopes Law, in force since 2021
Applies to November 3, 2026: write a DPS-issued ID number or the last four digits of your Social Security number, matching your registration. (source)
Source: Votebeat; Texas Tribune; VoteTexas.gov
When Is Early Voting in Texas?
Early voting for the November 3, 2026 election runs from Monday, October 19 through Friday, October 30. You can vote at any early voting site in your county, and your county sets the hours. Election Day polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.; if you are in line at closing time, stay in line.
Texas dates for the November 3, 2026 election
- Monday, October 5 Registration deadline Last day to deliver or postmark a registration application or change of address.
- Monday, October 19 Early voting begins Vote at any early voting site in your county. Hours vary by county.
- Friday, October 23 Mail ballot application due Your application must be received, not just postmarked, by your county's early voting clerk.
- Friday, October 30 Early voting ends Last day to vote early in person.
- Tuesday, November 3 Election Day Polls open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.. Mail ballots must be postmarked by 7 p.m.
- Wednesday, November 4 Last mail ballots arrive A mail ballot postmarked by Election Day counts if it arrives by 5 p.m.
- Monday, November 9 Mail ballot fix deadline Last day to correct a missing or mismatched ID number on a mail ballot.
Source: Texas Secretary of State, November 3, 2026 Election Law Calendar.
Can I vote at any polling place on Election Day? During early voting, yes, anywhere in your county. On Election Day it depends on the county. Many large counties run countywide vote centers, while others assign you to a precinct. Your county’s election website and the Am I Registered? search list your sites a few days before voting begins (VoteTexas.gov).
What ID Do You Need to Vote in Texas?
To vote in person in Texas you need one of seven photo IDs. Voters 18 to 69 can use an ID that expired up to 4 years ago. Voters 70 and older can use an expired ID of any age (VoteTexas.gov).
The seven photo IDs Texas accepts at the polls
Source: VoteTexas.gov, Required Identification for Voting in Person
A student ID, a work ID, or an out-of-state driver license will not work. The Election Identification Certificate is free at any DPS driver license office for a registered voter who has none of the other IDs.
If you do not have one and cannot reasonably get one, you can still vote a regular ballot. Sign a Reasonable Impediment Declaration at the polls, check the reason that applies, and show one supporting document. The listed reasons are:
- Lack of transportation
- Disability or illness
- Lack of a birth certificate or other documents needed to get an ID
- Work schedule
- Family responsibilities
- Lost or stolen ID
- Applied for an ID but have not received it
The supporting document can be a voter registration certificate, certified birth certificate, current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or any other government document with your name and address. The declaration is signed under penalty of perjury, so check only a reason that is true.
Who Can Vote by Mail in Texas?
Texas lets only some voters vote by mail, and wanting to is not enough. You qualify only if one of these applies to you (Election Code Chapter 82; VoteTexas.gov):
Who may vote by mail in Texas
Source: Texas Election Code Chapter 82; VoteTexas.gov
Lack of transportation and having to work on Election Day do not count as a disability under the law. Your application must be received by your county’s early voting clerk by Friday, October 23. A ballot postmarked by 7 p.m. on Election Day counts if it arrives by 5 p.m. on November 4.
The ID number rule is where most mail ballots go wrong. Since SB 1 took effect in 2021, both the application and the ballot’s carrier envelope must include a Texas driver license, personal ID or Election Identification Certificate number, or the last four digits of your Social Security number. The number must match one in your voter record. Write both if you have both.
In the March 2022 primary, the first under the rule, counties rejected 24,636 mail ballots, or 12.4%, according to Secretary of State data reported by the Texas Tribune. In the 2020 general election the rate had been under 1% (Texas Tribune). By the November 2022 general election, after counties and voters adjusted, the rate fell sharply.
| Period | Value |
|---|---|
| March 2022 primary | 12.4% |
| November 2022 general | 1.78% |
| Change | 8,771 of 491,399 returned |
The new rule did not fall evenly. In the March 2022 primary, an estimated 19% of Asian voters’ mail ballots were rejected, compared with 12% of white voters’ ballots, according to a Brennan Center analysis of the statewide voter file reported by Votebeat. Race was estimated from census tract and surname, not recorded by counties.
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Asian voters | 19% |
| Black voters | 16.6% |
| Latino voters | 16.1% |
| White voters | 12% |
Source: Brennan Center for Justice analysis, reported by Votebeat, October 20, 2022. Estimates from voter file records by census tract and surname.
If your mail ballot has a problem, the county must tell you, and you can fix it online through the state’s ballot tracker or in person until November 9. More on the fix in the situations below.
What Are We Voting for in Texas on November 3?
On November 3, 2026, Texans vote for a U.S. senator, governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and comptroller, plus U.S. House, the Legislature, and county and local races. It is a midterm general election, so the Senate and governor’s races sit at the top of every ballot in the state. Our guide to the Texas Senate race covers the polls, the money and each candidate’s record.
Top of the Texas ballot, November 3, 2026
Source: Ballotpedia and the Texas Tribune ballot guide, as used on our Senate race and Who Runs Texas pages. R is Republican, D Democrat, L Libertarian, G Green.
The Secretary of State’s calendar for November 3 lists no statewide constitutional amendment election. Your ballot can still carry local propositions, such as school or city bonds, because cities, counties, school districts and other local bodies may hold elections the same day (Secretary of State).
To see your exact ballot, look up your county’s sample ballot. Your county elections office posts it before early voting begins on Monday, October 19. Find your county’s office on the Secretary of State’s county list. Early voting runs Monday, October 19 through Friday, October 30, and Election Day polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m..
Midterm turnout in Texas runs well below presidential years, so fewer votes decide these races.
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| 2018 midterm | 53% |
| 2022 midterm | 45.9% |
| 2024 presidential | 61.2% |
Source: Texas Secretary of State, Turnout and Voter Registration Figures. 18,623,931 Texans were registered in November 2024.
If Something Goes Wrong
What to do in your situation
Pick the one closest to yours. Every step works before October 5 unless it says otherwise.
I'm not sure I'm registered
- Search the Am I Registered? site on VoteTexas.gov with your driver license number or your name, county and birth date.
- If you are not listed, or you registered through DPS after October 2025, fill out a paper application and deliver it to your county registrar or mail it postmarked by October 5.
- If you find out after the deadline, go vote anyway and ask for a provisional ballot. Call 866-OUR-VOTE for help.
I moved
- Within the same county: update your address online, in writing, or on your registration certificate by October 5.
- To a new county before October 5: register in your new county by the deadline.
- To a new county after October 5: you can vote a limited ballot in your new county during early voting only. It covers the races both counties share, such as U.S. Senate and governor.
I'm a college student
- Register at the address you consider home, either at school or your family's address. You can only be registered in one place.
- A student ID is not an accepted voter ID. Bring a Texas driver license, a passport, or another of the seven IDs.
- If you registered at home and are away at school, you qualify to vote by mail as someone absent from your county. Your application must arrive by October 23.
I don't have a photo ID
- Get a free Election Identification Certificate at a DPS driver license office. Bring proof of citizenship and identity.
- If you cannot get one in time, vote anyway: sign a Reasonable Impediment Declaration at the polls and show a utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, or your voter registration certificate.
- If you have none of those documents, you can vote a provisional ballot and show ID at the county registrar within six days.
My mail ballot was rejected or flagged
- Read the notice from your county. It will say what is wrong, often a missing or mismatched ID number.
- Fix it online through the Ballot by Mail Tracker on VoteTexas.gov, or in person at the county elections office, by November 9.
- If you have not heard from the county and are unsure your ballot counted, check the tracker or call your county elections office.
Someone is intimidating voters at my polling place
- If anyone is in danger, call 911.
- Tell the election judge in charge. Campaigning is banned within 100 feet of an outside door, and guns are banned inside polling places under Tex. Penal Code § 46.03(a)(2).
- Call the Election Protection hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE and report it to the Secretary of State at 800-252-VOTE.
Sources: VoteTexas.gov; Texas Election Code; Votebeat.
Texas Voting Questions
What are we voting for in Texas on November 3?
A U.S. senator, governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and comptroller, plus U.S. House, the Legislature, and county and local races. The Senate candidates are Ken Paxton (R), James Talarico (D) and Ted Brown (L). The governor candidates are Greg Abbott (R), Gina Hinojosa (D) and Pat Dixon (L). The Secretary of State lists no statewide constitutional amendment election for November 3, so check your county’s sample ballot for local propositions.
What is the deadline to register to vote in Texas?
Monday, October 5, 2026 is the last day to register for the November 3 election. A mailed application must be postmarked by October 5. Texas has no online registration, except when you update your address while renewing a driver license online with DPS.
How do I check if I am registered to vote in Texas?
Use the Secretary of State’s Am I Registered? search on VoteTexas.gov. You can look yourself up by your Texas driver license number, your voter ID number (VUID), or your name, county and date of birth. You can also call your county voter registrar.
When is early voting in Texas for November 2026?
Early voting runs from Monday, October 19 through Friday, October 30, 2026. You can vote at any early voting site in your county. Hours, and whether there is weekend voting, are set by each county.
What ID do I need to vote in Texas?
One of seven photo IDs: a Texas driver license, Election Identification Certificate, personal ID card or handgun license, or a U.S. military ID, citizenship certificate or passport. If you cannot reasonably get one, you can sign a Reasonable Impediment Declaration and show a supporting document such as a utility bill or voter registration certificate.
Who can vote by mail in Texas?
Only voters who are 65 or older, sick or disabled, expecting to give birth within three weeks of Election Day, out of their county for Election Day and the rest of early voting, in jail but eligible to vote, or in the military or living overseas. The application must be received by Friday, October 23, 2026.
Does voter registration expire in Texas?
No. Your registration stays active as long as you live at the same address. The county mails a new registration certificate every two years. If you move, you must update your address.
Can felons vote in Texas?
Yes, once the full sentence is complete, including any prison time, parole, supervision or probation. You then register the same way as anyone else.
Can independents vote in primaries in Texas?
Yes. Texans do not register by party. You pick a party’s primary when you vote, and that choice only binds you for the rest of the calendar year: you can then vote only in that party’s runoff. Voting in a primary does not require you to vote for that party in November.
What time do polls close in Texas on Election Day?
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. If you are in line at 7 p.m., stay in line: you are entitled to vote.
What You Can Do
- Check your registration today on the Am I Registered? search, and register on paper by October 5 if you are missing.
- Put your ID in your wallet now. If you need an Election Identification Certificate, DPS issues it free.
- Make a plan for October 19 to 30. Early voting has shorter lines, and you can use any site in your county.
- If you vote by mail, write your ID number on both the application and the envelope. Apply by October 23 and track your ballot online.
- Help one other person. A parent, roommate or coworker who registered through DPS this year may be in the backlog. Our national voter registration guide covers every state’s rules for friends outside Texas.