The deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot is Oct. 25. The deadline for mail-in ballots to be returned or postmarked is Nov. 5, unless it is from an overseas voter.
The Nov. 5 election is quickly approaching, and Texans will have the opportunity to vote for several federal, state and local officials, including president.
To vote by mail, Texans need to meet specific eligibility requirements. Mail-in voting can also be challenging due to various identification requirements and potential delays. Here’s an overview of how to apply for and submit your mail-in ballot before the Oct. 25 deadline and how to handle any issues in the process.
Key dates
- Election Day: Nov. 5, 2024
- Last day to register to vote: Oct. 7, 2024
- First day of early voting by personal appearance: Oct. 21, 2024
- Last day of early voting by personal appearance: Nov. 1, 2024
- Last day to apply for ballot by mail: Oct. 25, 2024
- Last day for a county to receive a mailed ballot: Nov. 5, 2024 (Election Day) or Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024 if postmarked (see more details below in the section on deadlines)
Who can vote by mail?
Texans who are registered to vote and meet one of the following requirements can request to vote by mail:
- You will be 65 years or older by Election Day.
- You cite a sickness or disability that prevents you from voting in person without needing personal assistance or without the likelihood of injuring your health.
- You will not be in your county for the entire election period, including early voting.
- You are expected to give birth within three weeks before or after Election Day.
- You are confined in jail but otherwise eligible (i.e., not convicted of a felony).
Note that the Texas Election Code’s definition of disability is broader than other federal definitions. It’s up to the voter to decide whether they have an illness or physical condition that prevents them from voting in person without assistance, and election officials don’t have the authority to question a voter’s reasoning.
College students registered at a residence in Texas, such as a parent’s home, but studying out of state can apply for absentee ballots, but they must request a mail-in ballot ahead of every election for which they will be absent from the state. Students from other states who are studying in Texas can also choose to register to vote in Texas using their dorm or Texas address.
You can verify your voter registration here and make updates, like a name or address change, here. If you’re not registered to vote, read more about how to register here.
If you are voting absentee, such as from out of state or overseas, and want to see what will appear on your ballot, you can get a sample ballot from your county. In most cases, sample ballots can be found on your county’s election website, and you can request your ballot on the Federal Voting Assistance Program website.
What identification do I need to vote by mail?
To vote by mail, you must provide one of the following numbers on your ballot by mail application and your mail ballot carrier envelope.
- A driver’s license number
- A Texas personal identification number
- Texas election ID certificate number (issued by DPS; different from the number found on your voter registration certificate)
- The last four digits of your Social Security number
Voters who don’t have any of those can also check a box indicating they have not been issued qualifying identification. The requirement for voters to provide an ID number was added by the Texas Legislature in 2021, and some voters have since had their ballots or applications rejected because they didn’t provide an ID number or the number they provided did not match the one the state had for the voter. The League of Women Voters of Texas told The Texas Tribune that it’s best to note your preferred identification and the last four digits of your social security number on the application to ensure ease of application processing.
If you need help, you can ask someone you trust to help you fill out or mail the form. The person who assists you must write their name and address next to your signature and sign the application.
How do you apply for mail-in voting?
To request an application to vote by mail, call your local or county office holding the election or fill out this form on the Texas Secretary of State’s website. You can also download the English or Spanish language application. You can submit the application by mail, fax or email to your Early Voting Clerk. If you email or fax your application, you must also send the original hard copy of your application to the Early Voting Clerk. The clerk must receive the hard copy no later than the fourth business day after the application deadline if you email or fax it.
If you are voting early due to an expected absence, you may apply by mail or in person before the early voting period for that election begins; this year, the early voting period for the general election starts Oct. 21.
If you are voting by mail because you are disabled or 65 or older, you may use a single application to request ballots for all county elections in the calendar year. To do so, mark “Annual Application” on your application for a ballot by mail when selecting the election for which you are applying.
Early Voting Clerks in each county are responsible for obtaining your Application for a Ballot by Mail (ABBM) and your mail-in ballot. Remember to address your application to the Early Voting Clerk and ensure your signature is on the outside of the ballot. Applications mailed to an address other than the early voting clerk may be rejected. You can send your application as early as 60 days before the election, and it is best to do it as soon as possible. Vote-by-mail ballots are sent out between 30 and 45 days before an election or seven days after the county election office receives an application.
What if I need help filling out an application to vote by mail?
If you need help filling out the Application for Ballot By Mail (ABBM), the person who assists you must check the Assistant box in Box 6 of the application. They must also provide their signature, written name, and residential address.
If you cannot sign the application to vote by mail, you may provide a mark on the application and a witness can then mark the witness box in Box 6 of the application. If you cannot make a mark, the witness will need to state that. They must also provide their written name, signature, residential address and relationship to you, the voter.
Note that a person can only serve as a witness for one single-use Application for Ballot By Mail or one annual Application for Ballot By Mail, unless additional applications are for their parent, grandparent, spouse, child or sibling. Early voting clerks or deputy early voting clerks can also serve as witnesses for multiple applications for ballots by mail.
While there is a limit to the number of Applications for Ballot By Mail a witness can do, there is no limit to the number of voter registration applications or carrier envelopes for mail-in ballots for which a person can serve as a witness, as long as the required information is provided. Witnessing for voters who cannot sign or mark documents is also considered different from assisting a voter in completing and submitting their ballot. There are no limits on how many times a person can assist as long as they are not the voter’s employer or an agent of the voter’s employer or union.
How do I request a ballot from overseas?
U.S. citizens living abroad, including military and non-military voters, can request to vote by mail by submitting a regular state Application for Ballot by Mail (ABBM) or the Federal Voting Assistance Program by submitting a Federal Postcard Application (FPCA). Texas has no preference for which application you use, but the ABBM requires a voter to be previously registered to vote and there may be mailing delays from overseas. The Travis County Elections Office says FPCA voters are prioritized to ensure timely delivery due to their unique circumstances, potentially resulting in fewer delays than ABBM processing.
For the FPCA process, you’ll have to fill out the FPCA application online, print it and mail it. The FPCA acts as both a registration and absentee ballot request form, so voters not previously registered can submit it by the FPCA ballot request deadline of Oct. 25 to receive a ballot for federal offices. The law requires absentee ballots to be sent to voters at least 45 days before a federal election.
Registration deadlines impact the type of ballot an FPCA voter will receive. Anyone who selects “return is uncertain” on the ballot request will automatically receive a ballot with federal races only if they reside in a jurisdiction with a federal race.
Voters who submit an FPCA and are already registered or register between 20-30 days before Election Day will receive the full ballot. If an FPCA voter registers 11-19 days before Election Day, they receive a federal ballot only.
Your FCPA ballot can be tracked on the Texas Secretary of State’s website.
What deadlines should I be aware of?
