Texas Voter Registration Information

Primary Election
April 3, 2012

Primary Election Voter Registration Deadline
March 5, 2012

General Election
November 6, 2012

General Election Voter Registration Deadline
October 9, 2012

Voter Registration and Eligibility
Voter applications must be received in the Voter Registrar's Office, or postmarked 30 days before an election in order for the voter to be eligible to vote in that election.

QUALIFICATIONS

To register to vote in the State of Texas, an individual must meet the following qualifications:

• Be a U.S. citizen
• Be a resident of the countyBe 18 years old (may register at 17 years and 10 months) by Election Day
• Not a convicted felon (unless a person's sentence is completed, including any probation or parole)
• Not declared mentally incapacitated by a court of law

OBTAINING A VOTER REGISTRATION FORM

In Person:
You may pick up a voter registration application at most post offices, libraries, high schools, your Voter Registrar's Office. Texas Department of Public Safety offices, and Texas Department of Human Services offices throughout the state.

By Mail:
You may request a postage-paid application by filling out this form so that a voter registration application can be mailed to you. You must mail the voter registration application to the voter registrar in your county of residence. You may access a list of all the voter registrars.

Obtain a voter registration form online here.

To confirm your voter registration status in the state of Texas, click here.

TEXAS EARLY VOTING

Who is Eligible to Vote Early in Texas?

In Person:
Any registered voter may vote early in person.

By Mail:
To vote early by mail, a voter must meet one of the following criteria:

• Have a sickness or disability
• Be 65 years old or older on Election Day
• Expect to be absent from your county during early voting and on Election Day
• Be confined in jail, but eligible to vote

How Can I Acquire an Early Voting Ballot?

In Person:
Early voting in person starts on the 17th day before each election, and ends four days before each election. Call your election official for information on voting sites (contact information).

Curbside Voting:
An election official will bring your ballot to your car outside the polling place. Simply call ahead to notify the early voting clerk that you want to vote from your car. Curbside voting is available during early voting, and on Election Day.

By Mail:
You may obtain a formal application from the Secretary of State's office or the early voting clerk in your county(contact information).

Request an application for an absentee ballot online here.

Obtain an application for an absentee ballot online here.

See state website for additional exceptions here.

A registered voter may also make informal request for an early voting ballot in writing. The following information must be included in an informal request:

• your signature (or a witness' signature if you cannot sign);
• your name and the address at which you are registered to vote;
• the address to which the ballot is to be mailed;
• the election date and for which election you are requesting a ballot (for a primary election, you must state the political party's primary in which you wish to vote); and,
• a reason why you are eligible to vote early by mail (to be eligible to vote early due to expected absence from the county, your application must state an address out-of-county to have your ballot mailed).
• Applications for a ballot by mail must be submitted to the early voting clerk on or after the 60th day before Election Day and before the close of business on the 7th day before Election Day. If the 7th day is a weekend, the last day to submit an application is the preceding Friday.

Additional Information for Overseas Voters

If You Move To Another County:

If your registration in the new county is not yet effective, you may be able to vote a "limited" ballot in your new county of residence on candidates or issues that are common between your old and new county. For full information on this procedure, go to Special Forms of Early Voting. If you feel you qualify to vote a limited ballot, we recommend that you contact the office of the Early Voting Clerk in your new county: Early Voting Clerk for State and County Elections

How do I Return the Early Voting Ballot and What is the Deadline?

In order to be counted, an early ballot must be received by the clerk by 7 p.m. on Election Day.

If you are mailing your ballot from outside the United States, the early voting clerk must receive your ballot by the 5th day after Election Day. (You must mail it no later than 7 p.m. on Election Day.)

Source of information:
Texas Secretary of State
Elections Division
Post Office Box 12060
Austin, Texas 78711-2060
Phone: 800-252-VOTE (8683) or 512-463-5650
Fax: 512-475-2811

http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/index.shtml

PROTECT YOUR SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHTS
BY EXERCISING YOUR RIGHT TO VOTE!