Here’s how to cast a ballot in Texas’ midterm election on Nov. 3

Texans will pick their next governor, U.S. senator and more than a dozen statewide elected officials during the Nov. 3 general election. Also on the ballot are also members of Congress, state lawmakers, district-based judges and local elected officials.

Since Republicans recently redrew new congressional maps to boost their representation in Congress, some Texans will have to vote in new congressional districts.

Here’s what you need to know about what’s on the ballot and the voting process. Stay tuned for more guides about statewide candidates in the following weeks. In the meantime, you can use this tool to see how state lawmakers — some of which are up for election this year — voted on major bills in the past legislative session.

What’s on the ballot? 

Here’s a quick glance at the federal, state and local elected offices that are up for election this year, according to the Texas Secretary of State.

Federal

• 1 U.S. Senator (John Cornyn’s seat)
• All 38 U.S. representatives since new Congressional maps were redrawn in 2025

State (statewide races)

• Texas Governor
• Lieutenant Governor
• Attorney General
• Comptroller of Public Accounts
• Commissioner of General Land Office
• Commissioner of Agriculture
• One Railroad Commissioner (Jim Wright’s seat)
• Four members of the Texas Supreme Court
• Three members of the Court of Criminal Appeals
• Three members of the 15th Court of Appeals

State (regional district-based races)

• Eight of the State Board of Education’s 15 seats
• Sixteen of the State Senate’s 31 seats 
• All 150 State Representatives
• Several chief justices of courts of appeals
• Various regional courts of appeals judges

Lower-level judges and local county offices will also appear on the ballot, including:

• County courts at law
• Justices of the peace
• District clerks
• County clerks
• County treasurers
• County surveyors
• County commissioners (precincts 2 and 4)
• County judges
• Various district judges, including on criminal and family courts.

You can use our ballot lookup tool to see which district-based and congressional elections you can vote in based on your address. Stay tuned for our guides on candidates running for statewide offices

You can also use this tool to see if your Congressional district changed in 2025. (Don’t worry: We won’t sell your information.)

Who are the candidates?

You can use our look-up tool to see candidates who will be on your ballot. The Democratic and Republican candidates on the ballot won the majority of votes during the March primary elections or the May primary runoffs.

In some elections, you may also see Libertarian and Green party candidates who were nominated at their party’s conventions. 

Texas also allows declared write-in candidates for state and county elected offices, which is why you may see blank write-in options for some elections. You can view declared write-in candidates through the Texas Secretary of State.

During the general election, registered voters can vote for any candidate on the ballot, even if they participated in another party’s primary or didn’t participate in the primaries at all.

What dates do I need to know?

• Oct. 5 is the last day to register to vote and to submit an address change to vote in the general election. Read more about voter registration further down in this story.
• Oct. 23 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 Oct. 19-30. Read more about early voting here.
• Nov. 3 is Election Day — the last day to vote in person and to return a ballot by mail. Read more about Election Day voting here and about voting by mail here.

What do I need to know about Texas’ voter registration?

Oct. 5 is the last day to register to vote and to submit an address change for the midterm election. 

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, especially if you have moved to a different county or political district or have legally taken a different name.

How do I check if I’m registered to vote?

You can check to 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 from other states who are studying here and have a Texas address can register to vote too.

How do I register to vote?

You must complete and submit a paper voter registration application by Oct. 5.

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 Oct. 5. You can request the postmark at your local post office to avoid delays.

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 either here or by using our lookup tool 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 your Voter Unique Identifier number, which you will need to update your information 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. More information on that here.

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 Texas 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 district. 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 your “main early voting polling place,” which is usually the office of your election administrator or county clerk. 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 from the secretary of state’s office at votetexas.gov.

What do I need to know about voting by mail in Texas?

Oct. 23 is the last day to apply to vote by mail.

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 can apply for absentee ballots if they are registered at a residence in Texas, such as a parent’s home, but are studying out of state. 

If you are voting absentee, 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.

When do I need to drop off or mail an application?

Applications must be received by the early voting clerk in your county — not postmarked — by Oct. 23. 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 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 get your ballot to you in the mail 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, Nov. 3. If a ballot is postmarked by 7 p.m. locally on Election Day, it’ll be counted if the county receives it by 5 p.m. the next day.  The U.S. Postal Service recommends mailing your ballot at least one week before the deadline, if not sooner.

Absentee ballots can also be dropped off in person at your county elections office while polls are open on Election Day. You will need a valid form of ID, such as a driver’s license or state ID.

Completed ballots from overseas and military voters are accepted if they’re mailed by Election Day and are received by Nov. 9. 

Overseas voters who submitted an application for a ballot by mail, or an ABBM, must postmark their ballot envelope by Election Day for it to be counted, according to the state’s election law calendar. (The postmark requirement does not apply to military and overseas voters who submit a Federal Post Card Application and go through a different ballot process.)

What identification do I need to vote by mail?

Texas requires mail-in 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
• 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. Some voters have said they 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 them. 

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 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 has said it will 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 because of 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 this online ballot tracker to make corrections and check the status of their application to vote by mail and their ballot. The deadline to correct mail-in ballot applications is Oct. 23. The deadline to correct the envelope of a mail-in ballot is Nov. 9. 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 in Texas?

Early voting in person runs from Oct. 19-30. 

• 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 Nov. 3. 

• Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time.

How can I find which polling places are near me?

By Oct. 13, county election offices should post on their websites information on polling locations for Election Day and during the early-voting period. The secretary of state’s website will also have information on polling locations closer to the start of voting. However, polling locations may change, so be sure to check your county’s election website before going to vote.

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, while others allow voters to cast ballots at any polling place.

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.

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 the original.)

If you have a valid photo ID but forgot it, you can cast a provisional ballot but will have to visit your local voter registrar’s office within six days of the election (Nov. 9) 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 marking this area. 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 can 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 the 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 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 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.

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 voted with a provisional ballot because of an administrative issue or photo ID problem, you should receive a notice by mail saying whether your ballot was counted in the local canvass, which is the final tally of votes. These notices must be mailed by Nov. 30, according to the state’s election law calendar.

What about regular ballots?

Counties keep track of when people have voted but a voter’s choices are anonymous once ballots are submitted and added to the official count of votes. To ensure vote counts are accurate, counties test election equipment multiple times, including a public test before an election.

What voter data is public?

Voting history is public, including primary elections. This means the primary you voted in could be disclosed in the rosters of voters that counties are required to post. Your ballot choices are not public.

Juliana Lightsey contributed to this report.