For those wanting to cast a ballot by mail, you must apply for a mail-in ballot before the deadline.
According to the Texas Secretary of State's Office, the application to vote by mail for the Nov. 8 midterm election must be physically received by the clerk, not just postmarked, by Oct. 28.
Applications to vote by mail in any election can be downloaded from the secretary's website (click here to download) or they can be obtained from the early voting clerk in your county.
Once the application is filled out it can be submitted either by mail, email or fax. Applications submitted by mail must arrive at the clerk's office by Oct. 28 to be considered. Applications can be submitted by email or fax on the day of the deadline so long as they are submitted by the time the clerk's office closes.
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If you submit your application by email or fax, the next few sentences are very important. The Texas Secretary of State's office warns that voters who submit their applications by email or fax must also send their original, hard copy of the application to the early voting clerk no more than four business days after it was emailed or faxed.
FILLING OUT THE APPLICATION FOR A BALLOT BY MAIL (ABBM)
To vote by mail, you must provide one of the following numbers on your ballot by mail and your mail ballot carrier envelope -- either a Texas Driver's License number, Texas Personal ID Number, or Election ID Certificate Number issued by the Texas DPS (not your voter registration VUID number, or the last four digits of your Social Security number.
If you have not been issued a Texas Driver’s License, Texas Personal Identification Number, Texas Election Identification Certificate Number or Social Security Number, you must indicate so by checking the appropriate box on the ABBM or carrier envelope.
If you have any other questions about filling out the application to vote by mail, visit the Texas Secretary of State's webpage on the ABBM application here.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO VOTE BY MAIL IN TEXAS?
Not everyone who wants to vote by mail is legally allowed to do so in the state of Texas.
To be eligible to vote by mail in Texas you must meet one of the following eligibility requirements: age 65 or older, sick or disabled, expected to give birth within three weeks of Election Day, out of the county on Election Day and during the early voting period, confined in jail but otherwise eligible to vote, civilly committed under Chapter 841 of the Texas Health and Safety Code. For more on eligibility, visit the Texas Secretary of State's website here.
WHERE WILL MY BALLOT BE SENT?
According to the Secretary of State's Office, "generally, a ballot must be mailed to the address where you are registered to vote. However, if you are 65 or older or have a physical disability, you may have your ballot sent to a hospital, nursing home or long-term care facility, retirement center, or relative, but you must check the blank on the form indicating which address you are providing. If your reason for voting by mail is absence from the county, the ballot must be mailed to an address outside the county."
STATE RESOURCE GUIDES FOR VOTING BY MAIL IN TEXAS
Full details on how to apply to vote by mail are available here from the Texas Secretary of State.
EARLY VOTING UNDERWAY
Early Voting began on Monday, Oct. 24, and runs through Nov. 4. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 8.
IMPORTANT ELECTION DATES
Oct. 24 - First day of early voting
Nov. 4 - Last day of early voting
Nov. 8 - Election Day and the last day to receive a ballot by mail that is not postmarked (7 p.m.).
Nov. 9 (5 p.m.) - Last day to receive a ballot by mail that was postmarked by 7 p.m. on Nov. 8
