Bring one of the following items to your polling place:

• TX Driver License issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)
• TX Personal ID Card issued by DPS
• TX Election ID issued by DPS
• TX Handgun License issued by DPS
• US Military ID Card with your photo
• US Certificate of Citizenship or US Certificate of Naturalization with your photo
• US Passport Book or Card

If you are 69 years old or younger, these photo IDs must be current or have expired no more than 4 years before you vote. If you are 70 years old or older, these photo IDs may be expired for any amount of time.

Don’t have a photo ID? Don’t worry. You can still vote!

If you’re a registered voter but do not possess one of the documents listed above and can’t reasonably get one, don’t worry, you can likely still vote a regular ballot. Here’s how:

1. Sign a declaration stating that:
   • You cannot reasonably get an acceptable photo ID
   • Provide: a valid voter registration certificate, or a certified birth certificate (must be an original); or a copy or original of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or government document with your name and an address thereon (a government document with your photo must be original).
2. And provide the original or a copy of one of the following:
   • Your voter registration certificate
   • A government document that shows your name and an address (including an out-of-state driver license)
   • Current utility bill
   • Bank statement
   • Government check
   • Paycheck
   • Certified US birth certificate or
   • A document confirming your birth that is admissible in a court (may include a foreign birth document)

Know Your Rights

Your name as printed on your ID does not need to exactly match your name as it appears on the registration rolls. As long as the two versions of your name are substantially similar, you will be allowed to vote on a regular ballot.

Your address as printed on your ID does not need to match your address as it appears on the registration rolls. Even if these addresses are completely different, you will be allowed to vote on a regular ballot.

If you have a documented disability or religious objection to being photographed, you can apply for an exemption from the photo ID requirement at your local registrar’s office.

Need to get an ID?

If you don’t have one of the accepted IDs, you can get a free Election ID Certificate from your nearest Department of Public Safety Office, or at one of the Secretary of State’s mobile ID stations.

In order to get a free Election ID Certificate, you’ll need to bring documentation with you to verify your identity and to show that you are a U.S. citizen. Most people need an original birth certificate plus two supporting documents.

If you don’t have your birth certificate, you can get one from a Vital Records Office for free (if you go in person and tell them you need a birth certificate for voting), or online for $22.

Many Texans vote early. Texas law allows in-person voting in the two weeks before Election Day to make the voting process more convenient and accessible. You can vote early by showing up in person to a voting center in your county during the early voting period, October 24 through November 4. Check your county’s website for early voting hours as they vary from county to county.

In Texas, you have to apply to vote by mail in order to get a mail ballot. You can apply for a mail ballot if you: will be 65 or older on Election Day, have a disability, will be out of the county during early voting and on Election Day, are expecting to give birth within three weeks before or after Election Day, or are confined to jail. The deadline for the county to receive your application is Friday, October 28.

The process to vote by mail has changed this year. A new law requires that you provide an ID number on your application and on your ballot envelope. The number provided must match your ID number tied to your voter registration.The process to vote by mail has changed this year. A new law requires that you provide an ID number on your application and on your ballot envelope. The number provided must match your ID number tied to your voter registration.

Your application to vote by mail AND your ballot envelope must include one or both of the following (we recommend providing both):

• Texas ID number - Texas Driver License Number, Texas Personal ID Card Number, or Texas Election ID Card Number (these are all issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety)
• Last four digits of your social security number.

There is a designated section on the application and the ballot envelope to write the ID numbers.

You can learn more about voting by mail here at MyTexasVotes.

You can confirm your voter registration status here. You will need one of the following sets of information:

• Your Texas Driver License Number and your Date of Birth
• Your Voter Unique Identifier (VUID) (this appears on your voter registration certificate) and your Date of Birth, or
• Your First and Last Name, your County, and your Date of Birth

Confirm your voter registration status.

Polls are open at various times during early voting and from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. on Election Day. Find out the latest hours for nearby polling locations using the search tool at the top of this page.

Note: During early voting and on Election Day–if you are in line at the scheduled time for closing the polling place, you are entitled to vote after the polling place closes. The closing time varies during early voting and is 7 p.m. on Election Day. If you are in line at closing time, remember: stay in line! You are legally allowed to vote.

If you moved from one Texas county to another Texas county, you must register in your new county by October 11. If you were already registered in your previous county and have a Texas driver license & social security number, you may update your voter registration online here. If you weren’t already registered or can’t update your registration online, be sure to register to vote at your local voter registration office or get more information at MyTexasVotes.

If you moved to another Texas county and it is too late to register in your new county, you may still be able to vote a “limited” ballot on candidates or issues that are the same in your old and new counties.

You may vote a limited ballot:

• Only during the early voting period (October 24 - November 4)
• In person only at the main early voting location, or by mail (if you’re otherwise qualified to vote by mail)
• If you would be eligible to vote in your old county on Election Day, if you were still living in that county and
• If you have not re-registered in the new county, or, if you have re-registered, the effective date of the new registration will not be effective on or before Election Day.

If you believe you qualify to vote a limited ballot, we recommend contacting the Early Voting Clerk in your new county.

You have the right to:

Bring a friend or family member for assistance
Under federal law, if you have a disability or have difficulty reading or writing in English, you can bring a person of your choice into the voting booth to assist you. You can also ask for an election worker to assist you.

Ask for a new ballot if you make a mistake
Under federal law, you have a right to a new ballot if you make a mistake.

Vote no matter what, even if it’s a provisional ballot
If you arrive late in the day and are in line when polls close on Election Day, stay in line because you have the right to vote as long as you arrive while polls are open between 7am and 7pm. If you’re told you can’t vote a regular ballot and you’re in the correct precinct, try to correct the problem. If you’re not able to, ask for and cast a provisional ballot.

Bringing your child into a polling place
You can bring your child with you when you cast your ballot.

Vote without a photo ID

If you’re a registered voter but do not possess one of the documents listed above and can’t reasonably get one, don’t worry, you can likely still vote a regular ballot. Here’s how:

1. Sign a declaration stating that:
   • You cannot reasonably get an acceptable photo ID
   • Provide: a valid voter registration certificate, or a certified birth certificate (must be an original); or a copy or original of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or government document with your name and an address thereon (a government document with your photo must be original).
2. And provide the original or a copy of one of the following:
   • Your voter registration certificate
   • A government document that shows your name and an address (including an out-of-state driver license)
   • Current utility bill
   • Bank statement
   • Government check
   • Paycheck
   • Certified US birth certificate or
   • A document confirming your birth that is admissible in a court (may include a foreign birth document)

If your name is different on your ID
Your name as printed on your ID does not need to exactly match your name as it appears on the registration rolls. As long as the two versions of your name are substantially similar, you will be allowed to vote on a regular ballot after submitting an affidavit stating that you are the same person.

Your address as printed on your ID does not need to match your address as it appears on the registration rolls. Even if these addresses are completely different, you will be allowed to vote on a regular ballot.

If you have a documented disability or religious objection to being photographed, you can apply for an exemption from the photo ID requirement at your local registrar’s office.

Get a photo ID for free
If you don’t have one of the accepted IDs, you can get a free Election ID Certificate from your nearest Department of Public Safety Office, or at one of the Secretary of State’s mobile ID stations.

In order to get a free Election ID Certificate, you’ll need to bring documentation with you to verify your identity and to show that you are a U.S. citizen. Most people need an original birth certificate plus two supporting documents.

If you don’t have your birth certificate, you can get one from a Vital Records Office for free (if you go in person and tell them you need a birth certificate for voting), or online for $22.

For more information about obtaining an Election ID Certificate, please click here.

Curbside Voting
Any voter who is physically unable to enter the polling place without personal assistance or likelihood of injuring their health is entitled to vote curbside. The Election Judge must send at least one clerk out to a voter’s car with all materials needed for them to vote. No election official has the right or the authority to tell a voter that they are ineligible for curbside voting.

Each polling place will offer at least one type of accessible voting equipment. Election workers have no authority to question a voter’s eligibility to use the accessible equipment.

For the speediest service, we encourage individuals that may need additional time or assistance to vote during non-peak hours (between 11 am - 3 pm).

If you have any questions or need help, call (844) TX-VOTES (844-898-6837).

• You have the right to cast a ballot in secret, free from disclosure and intimidation.
• If an election official questions whether you can vote, you are entitled to cast a provisional ballot, which records your vote while election officials look more closely at your records. If you have questions about provisional ballots, call (844) TX-VOTES.
• If you can’t prepare your ballot because of a physical disability or because you can’t read it, you have the right to assistance from a person of your choice.
• If you can’t enter the polling place without personal assistance or likelihood of injuring your health, you have the right to vote curbside. You may also request that a person accompanying you to the polling place follow the election worker into the polling place to observe the deposit of your ballot.
• If you can’t communicate in English, you have the right to select an interpreter to communicate with the election officials and translate the ballot for you.
• As long as you are in line to vote when the polling location closes (7pm on Election Day), you are entitled to cast your ballot. Remember, stay in line!

If you have a problem:

• If you’re not sure where your polling place is, look it up on the tool at the top of this page.
• If the officials at the polling place tell you that you’re not at the right polling place, ask them where you are supposed to go.
• If you see any problems, or if you have to vote a provisional ballot, you should report them immediately by calling (844) TX-VOTES.

More Resources:

• If you have any other questions about voter registration, contact your county voter registrar.
• If you have questions involving the election, including questions about how to vote early, contact one of the election administrators listed here.