Voting by Mail in Texas

For step-by-step instructions on filling out your Ballot by Mail, see the video ‘Complete Your Ballot by Mail Texas Style,’ produced by the League of Women Voters of Texas.

Only specific reasons entitle a registered voter to vote early by mail (no longer called absentee voting). Voting by mail in Texas is limited to voters who are:

1. 65 years of age or older on Election Day;
2. Sick or disabled*;
3. Expecting to give birth within three weeks before or after Election Day;
4. Absent from the county of registration during the Early Voting period and on Election Day;
5. Civilly committed under Chapter 841 of the Texas Health and Safety Code; or
6. Confined in jail, but otherwise eligible.

* The following is what you must affirm to Vote by Mail because you are sick or disabled "I have a sickness or physical condition that prevents me from appearing at the polling place on election day without a likelihood of needing personal assistance or injuring my health."

If you are eligible to vote by mail, you can request you can request an Application for Ballot by Mail (ABBM) from the Early Voting Clerk in your county, or you can print an ABBM directly from the Texas Secretary of State's office.

If you are eligible to vote by mail, you must re-apply each year beginning on January 1st. If you are 65 years of age or older OR you have a disability, you may apply once at the beginning of the year and request to receive ballots for all elections and runoffs held that year. All other voters who are eligible to vote by mail must apply for a mail-in ballot for each election separately.

If you are requesting a mail-in ballot for a Primary Election, be sure to indicate which party’s primary you wish to vote in (Democratic or Republican).

When you get your Application for a Ballot by Mail, read the instructions carefully, fill out the application, and return it to your your county Early Voting Clerk.

Upon receiving the application, the Early Voting clerk will determine whether you are eligible to vote by mail. If you are and you submitted your application early enough, you should receive your ballot about 30 days before the election. If you applied closer to the election date, you should receive your ballot about 10 days after the clerk verifies your application.

You can now track your Application for a Ballot by Mail or the ballot itself online through the Texas Secretary of State. If you receive notice that your application was rejected, go to the online tracker to correct errors, or call your county Elections Department.

 Once you've received your ballot, fill it out and return it to your county Early Voting Clerk in time to arrive on or before Election Day. Make sure you sign the carrier envelope containing your completed ballot, using the same signature you used on your Application for Ballot by Mail (ABBM). If the signatures do not match, your vote may not be counted.

For detailed information and a video about the application to vote by mail, completing your mail ballot, and returning your mail ballot, go to the “Vote by Mail” page hosted by the League of Women Voters of Texas.

REMEMBER: Mail your ballot in early enough to arrive in the office of the early voting clerk by Election Day, or by 5:00 p.m. the day after Election Day if postmarked by 7:00 p.m. on Election Day, or your vote will not be counted.

Instead of using the United States Postal Service or a common carrier, you may return your ballot by mail directly to the county Elections Department, (per the Texas Secretary of State), but you must follow some rules:

• You may hand-deliver your own ballot to the county Elections office on Election Day while the polls are open. You must show a photo ID.
• You must put the marked ballot inside the Carrier Envelope and sign the Carrier Envelope.
• If you refuse to present acceptable ID and insist on leaving the ballot, the ballot will be treated as improperly delivered and will NOT be sent to the early voting ballot board for counting.
• If someone other than the voter attempts to drop off the ballot, the ballot will be treated as improperly delivered and will NOT be sent to the Early Voting ballot board for counting.

You can now track your Application for a Ballot By Mail or the ballot itself online through the Texas Secretary of State.

If your application or ballot is rejected and you are unable to correct any errors through the online tracker, call your county Elections Department.  

• If your application or mail ballot is rejected and you are unable to correct errors online or with your county Elections Department, contact the Election Protection Coalition for assistance.
• If you requested a mail-in ballot but did not receive it, go to an early voting or Election Day Vote Center in your county. You will be able to cast a provisional ballot, which WILL COUNT once election officials determine that they did not receive a mail-in ballot from you.
• If you received a mail-in ballot, but would rather vote in person, go to an early voting or Election Day Vote Center in your county. You can surrender your mail-in ballot and vote a regular ballot, which WILL COUNT. If you forget or lose your mail-in ballot, you may cast a provisional ballot. 

Voters who:

• Become ill after the deadline to request a mail-in ballot or
• Will be out of town due to a death in the family

may still vote by requesting an application for an emergency absentee ballot. Voters must meet the requirements listed on the application. Voters who become ill must provide certification from a doctor.

Application for Emergency Ballot: 

• Application due to illness or disability
• Application due to death in the family
• Call your county Elections Department (Dallas 469-627-8683 or Collin 972-547-1900) for specific information about filling out and submitting these forms.