Election Day this year is November 5th and it is approaching fast! In the 2020 election, Texas ranked 44th out of 50 states in voter turnout. It is not too late to improve our great state’s voting record. With Houston being the 4th most populous city in the United States, our collective vote can make a big impact in the election. The following information is being shared here to encourage and guide you to register and make your voice count by voting in Houston. Online applications, forms, instructions, specific guidance can all be found throughout this post via website links, as summarized here:
https://www.houstonvotersguide.org/
https://texaslawhelp.org/article/voter-registration-basics
Voting in Houston: Your Questions Answered
Am I Eligible Vote?
In order to vote in any election, local or presidential, you must register to vote. In Texas, you are eligible to vote if you:
- are a U.S. Citizen,
- are a resident of the county where you apply,
- are at least 17 years and 10 months old when you register (you must be 18 by Election Day to vote), and
- have not been declared by a court to be totally mentally incapacitated (or partially mentally incapacitated without the right to vote).
- are not a convicted felon (unless a person’s sentence is completed, including any probation or parole)
Click here for For additional voter registration basics.
Am I already registered to vote?
Many people register to vote while applying for a driver’s license and/or identification card. Maybe you registered to vote 20 years ago and want to know if your registration is still valid. If you have not voted in the past two federal elections (federal elections occur every two years), you may have been removed from the list of registered voters. You should check your voter registration status using the “Am I Registered?” tool at the website of the Texas Secretary of State. At a minimum, you must provide your name, county you live in, and date of birth.
When should I register to vote?
You must register at least 30 days before an election to be able to vote in that election. For the November 5, 2024, general election, your application must be received no later than October 7, 2024, which is the first business day after the 30-day deadline.
How do I register to vote?
In order to register to vote, you have to complete an application. You may fill out a voter registration application and mail it or drop it off in person to the voter registrar in your county of residence. Find the office location for your county voter registrar and you can either apply in person or by mail. Texas does not have online voter registration. The voter registration application is available online but it cannot be submitted online. The application is also available at many post offices, libraries, Texas Department of Public Safety offices, and Texas Health and Human Services Commission offices throughout the state. You can also request that a voter registration application be mailed to you. There are also Volunteer Deputy Registrars (VDRs) who can accept your application. You can ask local organizations if they have VDRs available to help you register.
Changes to your voter registration
Because your voter registration is tied to the county where you live, you must register in the new county if you move. If it is before the registration deadline, you can update your registration and vote in the election in your new county. You can now update your registration address online through the Secretary of State’s Voter Name & Address Change site. You can also update your name and likely your gender marker, online using the same process. Check the box for “Change.” Fill out the application with your new legal name, address or gender marker, listing your old legal name under “Former Name.” Gender on the voter registration card is an optional field. If you choose not to check a box, your gender will be listed as “unspecified” or with a “U.” If you want to check “Male” or “Female,” it may be best to check whichever box matches the gender on your ID to avoid confusion when you try to vote. If you change your legal gender marker, you may want to update your registration.
The paper application is the same if you need to update your information by registering in person or by mail, and you should be able to update your name and gender marker on your voter registration at the same time you update your driver’s license or state ID.
Note: This online form can only be used to update a registered voter’s address, not to register.
Alternatively, you can re-register in the new county in any other way described above in How do I register to vote?
If you are registered to vote in a Texas county but move to another county after the registration deadline, you must go to your old county to vote or request a mail-in ballot.
I’m registered and ready to vote. Now What?
There are several options to cast your vote. This includes in-person voting during early voting time periods, mailing in a ballot, and in-person voting on election day.
Voting in Houston by mail
Texas has very limited options for voting early by mail (formerly called an Absentee Ballot). You can request a mail-in ballot if:
- You will be out of the county during all of early voting and on election day,
- You are sick or have a disability,
- if your condition means that you would need personal assistance to vote in person or voting in person would injure your health,
- You are in jail or prison and eligible to vote, or
- You will be 65 or older on election day.
If you meet any of the above requirements, you can apply for your mail-in ballot before early voting starts on October 21, 2024. You can print out an application from the Secretary of State website or fill out an application online.
College students should pay close attention to these requirements. If you can’t make it back to your home county to vote, get a mail-in ballot!
Once you receive your ballot in the mail, the Elections Administrator must receive your mail-in ballot before the end of Election Day so be sure to mail it in as soon as possible. Military and overseas voters have a slightly different process. The instructions to complete and submit a mail-in ballot can be found here.
- November 5 at 7PM: Last day mail-in ballot can be received
- Note: If your ballot is postmarked by November 5 at 7PM, it will still be counted if it is received by November 6 at 5PM.
Can I drop off mail-in ballot instead of mailing it?
Once you have completed your mail-in ballot, you should be able to drop off your ballot at the election office or a designated site in your county. Check with your county officials about their specific procedures and ballot drop-off locations. Bring your acceptable photo ID when you turn in your ballot.
- November 5 at 7PM: Deadline to drop off mail-in ballots
Early Voting in Houston
Registered voters may vote at ANY early voting location located in their county of residence. Early voting will be available as follows:
- October 21: First Day of Early Voting at designated locations (include link here)
- November 1: Last Day of Early Voting at designated locations
- NOTE: Most early voting hours will be 7 am to 7 pm (Sunday 12p to 7p) and this includes ONE weekend.
During early voting in Houston, voters can go to open polling locations to cast their vote as if it was the same as election day. Early voting allows voters to vote before or after work, during lunch hours and usually, it should be less crowded with less wait time. You do not have to meet any special qualifications to vote early in person – if you are registered and qualified to vote on Election Day, you can also cast a ballot during the early voting period. This enables Texas voters to cast their ballot in the days and weeks before an election to make the voting process more convenient and accessible. All other voting rules and procedures apply – e.g., eligibility and polling hours. Early voting and election day voting locations depend on where you are registered to vote. VoteTexas is a great source for any Texan to use to find a nearby and convenient polling location for voting in Houston. Your local county website should also have a list or interactive with polling locations.
What to Expect at the Polling Place
When you arrive at the polling place, you will be asked to present one of the seven (7) acceptable forms of photo identification. If you do not possess a form of acceptable photo identification and you cannot reasonably obtain one, show a supporting form of identification to the election official and execute a Reasonable Impediment Declaration.
After identification verification, the election official will provide you with:
- A paper ballot on which you will select your choices and which will be counted by hand;
- A paper ballot on which you will select your choices by darkening an oval, completing an arrow, or “marking” with the aid of a voting machine; or
- A slip of paper with a numerical access code or, in some counties, a ballot activator card. In the next available voting booth, enter your code or card and let the on-screen instructions guide you through the process of electronic voting.
The vast majority of Texans will cast their ballots on electronic voting machines – many of which are part of a hybrid voting system that produces a paper record that voters can review and verify before officially casting their ballot.
What is curbside voting and how does it work?
All polling places in Texas must be accessible. Curbside voting in Houston is an option for voters who are physically unable to enter the polling place. If you need curbside voting, the steps are:
- Go to the voting polling location.
- Ask an election officer to bring a ballot to you, either at the entrance of the polling place, or to the car you are inside, parked curbside.
- Mark your ballot.
- Give the marked ballot to the election officer. The election officer puts the ballot in the ballot box. (Or, at the voter’s request, a companion may hand the voter a ballot and deposit it for the voter.)
What can I do if I’m told I cannot vote?
Call the Election Protection hotlines before leaving the polling location if you try to vote but are told you cannot vote.
Where can I learn about what’s on the ballot?
Stay informed but scrutinize information about candidates that is found on the internet. When looking to social media for candidate information, make sure you only go to the verifiable accounts of the actual candidates themselves. Many websites make baseless claims that are centered around their creator’s own biased opinions. Exaggeration and taking candidates’ quotes out of context are just some methods used to spread disinformation in the election.
- The League of Women Voters – Texas offers a nonpartisan guide to candidates and issues like constitutional amendments and propositions.
- Finding out about local candidates, such as city-, county-, or school district-level, may require you to do some research. The Texas Secretary of State website has links to Texas counties’ voting information, which may have information about local races. You should also check your city’s official website and local news sources.
We hope this guide encourages and excites you about voting in Houston this fall. Make your voice count!
