The Texas Tribune
BY MIKAYLA HIGGINS / THE TEXAS TRIBUNE
The Nov. 5 election is quickly approaching, and Texans will have the opportunity to vote for several federal, state and local officials, including president.
The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit and nonpartisan news organization, is dedicated to helping Texans navigate the intricacies that may come with voting by mail or voting as a student or as a Texan with disabilities. This year, we’ve created a series of guides in addition to our comprehensive voter guide; this is our guide for voting by mail.
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 register to vote by mail?
Texans who 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.
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.
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?
The deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot is Oct. 25, and the application must be received by that date — not just postmarked by that date.
The deadline for mail-in ballots to be returned to a county is Election Day, Nov. 5. If a ballot is postmarked by 7 p.m. locally that day, it’ll be counted if the county receives it by 5 p.m. on Nov. 6.
Absentee ballots can also be delivered to the county elections office in person with a valid ID while polls are open on Election Day.
Completed ballots from military or overseas voters are generally accepted and counted if they’re received by Nov. 12 and are postmarked by the 7 p.m. deadline on Election Day. (Read more here about the different ballot request and return process for military and overseas voters.)
Can I track my ballot?
The Texas Secretary of State has a Ballot by Mail Tracker available online. If you are worried about your ballot or have issues with the tracker, you can call your county election official to inquire. If you don’t receive your ballot in time or run into issues, there may be other options for you to vote in person through a provisional ballot, curbside voting or an emergency ballot. Read more about these options below.
What should I do when my mail-in ballot arrives?
When your ballot arrives, fill it out with a black or blue pen. Fill out the ovals completely — do not mark them with Xs, checks, or circles. Place your ballot in the ballot envelope and seal it. Place the ballot envelope in the carrier envelope, then fill out the carrier envelope with the following information:
- Your Texas driver’s license or personal identification number and the last four digits of your Social Security number.
- Your phone number and/or email address in case there’s an issue with your ballot.
- Seal the carrier envelope in both places, then sign over the flap.
- If an assistant helps you complete the ballot, they must fill out the required information in the space provided on the carrier envelope.
- If you cannot sign, your witness must fill out the required information in the space provided on the carrier envelope.
Return your ballot as soon as possible. Remember, your ballot must be received by 7 p.m. on Election Day. You can return it using one of the following:
- Mail your ballot to the U.S. Postal Service. You can also return it using FedEx, UPS, or DHL.
- Hand deliver your ballot in person to your county’s Early Voting Clerk’s office on Election Day while the polls are open. You must show a photo ID or another acceptable form of identification.
What kind of postage do I need to return my mail-in ballot?
It depends on where you live. Postage for mail-in ballots will vary by county because the style and size of the ballot could be different from county to county — and some counties may pay postage for you. Local elections offices should have the specifics once ballots are finalized. That said, if you don’t have enough postage, your ballot should not be returned to you. Instead, the Postal Service is supposed to deliver the ballot and bill the county for insufficient or missing postage. If mailing by the U.S. postal service, ensure you have enough stamps.
Can you vote in person if you requested a mailed ballot?
The short answer is yes if you are in Texas and the county where you’re registered to vote. The process will be more streamlined if you bring your mail-in ballot to your polling place so you can surrender it before casting your vote. You can still cast a provisional ballot if you don’t have it or never received it. Your vote will be counted once the county determines it never received your mail-in ballot. So if you decide to vote in person, bring your ballot and photo ID.
Voters looking to vote by mail because of a sickness or disability may also qualify to vote through curbside voting or an emergency ballot.
To request an emergency ballot, you must designate a representative to submit an application in person on your behalf and have a certified doctor’s note. Your county’s Early Voting Clerk must receive the application before 5 p.m. on Election Day, and your ballot must be returned by the same designated representative before 7 p.m. on Election Day to be counted.
How to address issues with your mail-in voting application or ballot
Texas allows voters to correct their mail-in ballots if the ballots are at risk of being rejected for a technical error, including missing information or signatures. This also applies to issues with applications to vote by mail. County officials are responsible for alerting voters if there is a defect with their application or ballot carrier envelope and how to fix it.
If your mail-in ballot is rejected, you have a six-day window after the election to fix the issue. This year, that deadline is Nov. 12. If there is an issue with your mail-in ballot application, it must be corrected by the application deadline of Oct. 25.
You may correct certain application defects online through the state’s ballot trackeror address issues with your application or ballot carrier envelope by visiting your Early Voting Clerk’s office.
Here are additional resources:
- The application to vote by mail from the Texas Secretary of State’s website, including a PDF of the application and a Spanish version
- Election dates from the Texas Secretary of State
- Information about military and overseas voting
- Information about ID Requirements for voting by mail
- Additional voting my mail instructions from the state
- Information from the League of Women Voters Texas
- The Secretary of State’s Office has a helpline at 1-800-252-VOTE (8683) to reach state attorneys available to assist voters and election officials with questions.
- A coalition of voting rights groups runs voter protection hotlines in several languages. Disability Rights Texas also offers a helpline for people with disabilities.
Disclosure: League of Women Voters of Texas and Texas Secretary of State have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.
