Candidates in more than 30 state and federal races are expected to face off again in the May 26 runoff after failing to secure more than half of the votes cast in the March Republican and Democratic primaries. This includes Attorney General Ken Paxton’s challenge to U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, as well as several candidates for statewide or district-based elected offices in Texas.
In these undecided races, registered voters can choose their preferred candidate on May 26 or during the May 18-22 early voting period.
But remember, Texas doesn’t allow double dipping. Voters who already voted in the Republican or Democratic primary this year can only vote in that same party’s runoff elections. Voters who didn’t vote in March can choose to vote in either party’s runoff. (Texans don’t have to formally register with a party.)
What’s on the ballot?
Here are the statewide Republican runoffs:
- U.S. Senate: John Cornyn and Ken Paxton
- Texas attorney general: Mayes Middleton and Chip Roy
- Texas Railroad Commission: Jim Wright and Bo French
- Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Place 3: Alison Fox and Thomas Smith
Here are the statewide Democratic runoffs:
- Lieutenant governor: Vikki Goodwin and Marcos Vélez
- Attorney general: Nathan Johnson and Joe Jaworski
There are also runoff races for various district representatives for Congress, the Texas House, the State Board of Education and a Republican primary for Texas Senate District 19 along the U.S.-Mexico border. While incumbents in state legislative races generally prevailed, multiple incumbents in Congress faced close races or runoffs.
The candidates who advance to the general election and are elected in November will have the opportunity to affect public policy and Texans’ lives in multiple areas, including education, health care and immigration.
Use our results page to see if there are runoff elections in your districts. (Note: We don’t collect your data.)
What dates do I need to know?
- April 27 is the last day to register to vote and to submit an address change for the runoff elections. Read more about voter registration here.
- May 15 is the last day to apply to vote by mail. This option is limited in Texas. Read more about who qualifies to vote by mail and the process here.
- Early voting in person is May 18-22. Read more about early voting here.
- Election Day – the last day to vote in person and to return a ballot by mail is May 26. Read more about Election Day voting here and about voting by mail in here.
What do I need to know about voter registration requirements?
How do I update my voter registration with an address or name change?
You can report an address or name change online. You should do this if you’ve moved since the last time you voted, particularly if you moved to a different county or political subdivision or legally changed your name.
How do I check if I’m registered to vote?
You can see if you’re registered and verify your information through the Texas Secretary of State’s website.
You’ll need one of the following three combinations to log in:
- Your Texas driver’s license number and date of birth.
- Your first and last names, date of birth and county you reside in.
- Your date of birth and Voter Unique Identifier, which appears on your voter registration certificate.
Who can register to vote in Texas?
U.S. citizens in Texas can register to vote in the election if they are 18 or older or if they will be 18 by Election Day.
Citizens in the state cannot register to vote if they have been convicted of a felony and are still serving a sentence, including parole or probation, or if they have been deemed mentally incapacitated in court. Here are more specifics on eligibility.
Eligible people experiencing homelessness can vote, as long as they provide on their registration an address and description for where they are residing, such as a shelter or a street intersection. If needed, their mailing address can be different, but a P.O. Box address is usually not considered a residence address in Texas.
Students studying in Texas who are from other states can choose to register to vote in the state with their dorm or Texas address.
How do I register to vote?
You must complete and submit a paper voter registration application by April 27.
You can find this at county voter registrars’ offices and some post offices, government offices and high schools. You can also print out the online application and mail it to the voter registrar in your county. Download your application here. You can also request a postage-paid application through the mail, but this will take some time to receive.
Applications must be postmarked by April 27. You can request the postmark at your local post office to avoid postmark delays for mail that is picked up from mailboxes.
If you’re worried about the registration deadline, you can complete or deliver an application in person to your county’s elections administrator. Find yours here. You can also register through organizations that have volunteer registrars like the League of Women Voters, who often hold voter registration events.
Additionally, you can register to vote through the Texas Department of Public Safety while renewing your driver’s license. You may be able to register to vote online if you’re also allowed to renew your license online. This is the only form of online registration in the state.
After you register to vote, you will receive a voter registration certificate within 30 days. It’ll contain your voter information, including the Voter Unique Identifier number needed to update your voter registration online. If the certificate has incorrect information, you’ll need to note corrections and send it to your local voter registrar as soon as possible.
The voter registration certificate can also be used as a secondary form of ID when you vote if you don’t have one of the seven state-approved photo IDs.
Do you have to reregister to vote?
Once you register to vote, you generally remain registered, but there are various reasons why you may want to verify your registration status. For example, if you need to update your registration after a name or address change. You can make those updates online here.
What does it mean if my voter registration is in “suspense”?
If a county receives a non-deliverable notice after sending a voter registration certificate or suspects an address change, a voter is placed on a “suspense list” and asked to confirm their address. Voters on the suspense list can still vote if they update or confirm their address before the voter registration deadline for an election or fill out a “statement of residence” when voting. They may have to vote at their previous polling location or vote on a limited ballot. If no action is taken by a suspended voter, they are removed from the voter rolls after about four years, according to the Texas Secretary of State’s office.
If you’re concerned about your voter registration status, you can verify it online here.
What if I moved after the voter registration deadline?
You must reside in a Texas county by the voter registration deadline to vote in the upcoming election unless you qualify for absentee voting. You can read more about absentee and mail-in voting here.
You can vote at your previous polling location if you moved within the same county or political subdivision. Or you can vote at your new polling location on a ballot limited to the elections you would qualify to vote in at both polling locations, such as statewide races.
Limited ballots are available only during early voting at a “main early voting polling place,” which is usually the office of the election administrator or county clerk who runs elections in your county. The main early voting polling place should be noted in a county’s list of early voting locations.
What do I do if I run into issues with my voter registration?
If you have questions or concerns about your registration, you can find your county’s voter registration contact here.
Inside polling locations, there are typically “resolution desks” where poll workers can address registration issues.
You can also find more information on frequently asked questions from the secretary of state’s office at votetexas.gov.
What do I need to know about mail-in voting?
When do I need to drop off or mail an application?
Applications must be received — not postmarked — by the early voting clerk in your county by May 15. Applications can also be submitted by fax or email, but the county must receive a hard copy within four business days. They can also be dropped off in person.
You can download an application here or request one to be mailed to you here.
If you’re looking to vote by mail, give yourself as much leeway as possible. You’ll need to budget for the time it will take your county to mail your ballot to you after you apply.
What is the deadline to mail my ballot?
The deadline for mail-in ballots to be returned to the county is Election Day, May 26. 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 May 27.
The U.S. Postal Service recommends mailing your ballot at least one week before the deadline. It has also noted that postmarks may not be applied the same day a voter drops a ballot in a mailbox and is urging voters to not wait until the last minute or to visit a post office to request a manual postmark from an employee.
Absentee ballots can also be delivered in person to the county elections office with a valid form of ID while polls are open on Election Day.
Completed ballots from military or overseas voters are accepted if they’re received by June 1. (Military and overseas voters can go through a different ballot request and return process.)
How do I know if I’m eligible to vote by mail?
This option is fairly limited in Texas. You’re allowed to vote by mail only if:
- You will be 65 or older by Election Day.
- You will not be in your county for the entire voting period, including early voting.
- 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’re 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).
College students who are registered at a residence in Texas, such as a parent’s home, but are studying out of state can apply for absentee ballots.
If you are voting absentee, such as from 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.
What identification do I need to vote by mail?
Texas rules for voting by mail require voters to provide an ID number on both their application for a ballot and the carrier envelope used to return a completed ballot. This must be one the following ID numbers:
- A driver’s license number
- A state ID number
- The last four digits of their Social Security number
- Texas election ID certificate number (issued by DPS and which is different from the number found on your voter registration certificate)
Voters who don’t have any of these can check a box indicating they have not been issued that identification.
This identification rule was added by the Texas Legislature in 2021, and some voters have 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.
If you don’t have a license number on file or are unsure which ID number you provided, the secretary of state has suggested contacting your local voter registrar to ask about how to add one of the required numbers to your voter registration record.
Voting advocates have suggested voters include both their driver’s license or state ID number and the last four digits of their Social Security number, if they have both, to avoid issues.
What counts as a disability to vote by mail?
The Texas Election Code’s definition of disability is broader than other federal definitions. A voter is eligible to vote by mail if they have a “sickness or physical condition” that prevents them from voting in person without the likelihood of “needing personal assistance or of injuring the voter’s health.”
What kind of postage do I need to return my mail-in ballot?
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 is not supposed to be returned to you. Instead, the Postal Service said its practice is to deliver the ballot and bill your election administrator.
What if there’s an issue with my mail-in 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 mail-in applications. County officials are responsible for alerting voters if there is a defect with their application or ballot.
Voters can use a new online ballot tracker to check the status of both their application to vote by mail and their ballot. The tracker can also be used to make corrections. You can access the tracker here. The deadline to correct mail-in ballot applications is May 15. The deadline to correct a mail-in ballot is June 1. Corrections may also be submitted by mail – if election officials determine there’s enough time to do so – or in-person at a county’s early voting clerk’s office.
What do I need to know about voting in person at the polls?
Early voting in person runs from May 18-22.
- Anyone registered to vote may vote early, but it must be done in person unless you qualify to vote by mail.
- Voters can cast ballots at any polling location in the county where they are registered to vote. Check your county election office’s website for early-voting locations and hours.
If you can’t vote inside of a polling place due to injury or a disability, curbside voting may be available. Read more about what qualifies as a disability and about curbside voting options here.
Election Day is May 26.
- Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day.
Are polling locations the same on Election Day as they are during early voting?
Not always. Check where polling locations are open on your county’s elections website before you head to cast your ballot. In some counties, Election Day voting may be restricted to locations in your designated precinct. Other counties allow voters to cast ballots at any polling place on Election Day.
(Counties should note on their elections website if voters have to vote at a specific location based on their precinct. To find your precinct, you can reference the voter registration certificate mailed to you or use the state’s voter lookup tool if your county doesn’t have a lookup tool online.)
Read more about voting options for those who can’t vote in person here.
What form of ID do I need to bring?
You’ll need one of seven types of valid photo ID to vote in Texas:
- A state driver’s license (issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety).
- A Texas election identification certificate (issued by DPS).
- A Texas personal identification card (issued by DPS).
- A Texas license to carry a handgun (issued by DPS).
- A U.S. military ID card with a personal photo.
- A U.S. citizenship certificate with a personal photo.
- A U.S. passport.
Check out this story for more details.
What if I don’t have a valid photo ID?
Voters can still cast ballots if they sign a form swearing that they have a “reasonable impediment” to obtaining a proper photo ID. Those voters will also have to present one of the following types of supporting documents:
- A valid voter registration certificate.
- A certified birth certificate.
- A document confirming birth admissible in a court of law that establishes your identity (which may include a foreign birth document).
- A copy of or an original current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or other document that shows the voter’s name and address. (Any government document that contains a voter’s photo must be an original.)
If you have a valid photo ID but forgot it, you can cast a provisional ballot but will have to visit the local voter registrar’s office within six days of the election to present an acceptable ID or documentation in order for the ballot to be counted. A registered voter without a valid photo ID or any of the supporting documents can also cast a provisional ballot.
Are there rules at the polls?
Cellphones, cameras, computers and other devices that can record sound or images cannot be used within 100 feet of voting stations where ballots are marked. There are usually traffic cones or signs indicating this. Campaigning — including wearing clothing or other items that publicize candidates, political parties or measures on the ballot — is also banned beyond this point.
A new law also bans the use of wireless communication devices, like cellphones, in the same room where voting is taking place. Voters are allowed to use written notes to cast their ballot at the discretion of election officers, who determine if the material counts as campaigning.
Firearms, including handguns, are prohibited at polling places, according to Texas law.
What are my rights as a voter?
Voters generally have the right to cast their ballots in secret and should not be subject to intimidation.
Guaranteed time to vote:
- On Election Day, voters have the right to cast a ballot as long as they’re in line by 7 p.m.
- Texas law says voters have the right to vote during work hours without being penalized or losing pay, but this may not apply if a worker has two hours before or after their shift to vote.
Voting accommodations and assistance:
- Voters are entitled to get written instructions on how to cast a ballot or to ask a polling place officer or worker (they cannot ask who or what to vote for).
- Voters with disabilities or limited English proficiency can also get interpretation, assistance or other accommodations to vote.
- A state law passed in 2023 allows voters with disabilities or mobility problems to skip the line at their polling location and requires each polling location to have a designated parking spot for curbside voting.
Addressing voting or administrative issues:
- If a registered voter’s name does not appear on the list of voters because of an administrative issue, they have the right to cast a provisional ballot.
- If a voter makes a mistake while marking a ballot, they have a right to use up to two additional ballots to make corrections.
- At the polls, voters can talk to election officers or poll workers if they run into issues.
Who can I contact for help with voting concerns?
- You can contact your county’s voter registrar for questions about your voter registration. Find yours here.
- Contact your county’s elections office or administrator for general questions about local elections. Find yours here.
- The secretary of state’s office has a helpline at 1-800-252-VOTE (8683) where state attorneys are available to answer questions from voters and election officials.
- A coalition of voting rights groups runs voter protection hotlines in several languages. Disability Rights Texas also offers a helpline for people with disabilities.
What if I was planning to vote in person but can no longer do so?
If you didn’t apply to vote by mail but are unable to go to a polling place, consider requesting an emergency early voting ballot or using curbside voting.
Emergency ballot: These ballots can be requested if you become sick or disabled close to an election and are unable to go to a polling place on Election Day.
Emergency ballots are also available, through a different process, for individuals who cannot vote on Election Day due to the death of a close family member.
Contact your county elections office for more details about emergency ballots.
Curbside voting: You can contact your county elections office to determine if you’re eligible for curbside voting, which must be made available at every polling place for voters with disabilities who are unable to enter a polling location. A new law requires curbside voters to fill out a form attesting that they are physically unable to enter a voting location.
How can I make sure my ballot is counted?
How do I know if my provisional ballot was counted?
If you cast a provisional ballot because of an administrative issue or photo ID problem, you should receive a notice by mail letting you know if your ballot was counted in the local canvass, which is the official tallying of votes. These notices must be mailed by June 15, according to the state’s election law calendar.
What about regular ballots?
Counties keep track of voter history, but votes are anonymous once ballots are submitted and added to the vote counts. To ensure vote counts are accurate, counties test election equipment multiple times, including in a public test conducted before an election.
What voter data is public?
Voter history, or whether a person voted in a previous election, is public. This includes primary election history, during which voters have to pick either the Republican or Democratic primary. This means the primary you voted in may be disclosed in the rosters of voters that counties are required to post. Your ballot choices are not public.
Disclosure: The Texas Secretary of State has been a financial supporter 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.
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