Emgage Texas has compiled some of the most common questions about voting in the primaries and provided answers. Early voting begins Tuesday, February 17. Election Day is Tuesday, March 3rd, 2026.
We look forward to seeing you at the polls!

Key Dates to Know

Tuesday, February 17th:  Early voting in-person begins
Friday, February 20th:    Deadline to have mail-in ballot applications received
Friday, February 27th:     Early voting in-person ends
Tuesday, March 3rd:        Election Day!

Deadline to submit mail-in ballots is 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, March 3 (OR have your mail-in ballot received by Wednesday, March 4, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. if the carrier envelope is postmarked by 7:00 p.m. local time on Election Day unless overseas or military voter deadlines apply).

Quick resource links:

Personalized Sample Ballot: https://www.vote411.org/ballot

Check Voter Registration Status: https://teamrv-mvp.sos.texas.gov/MVP/mvp.do

Track Your Mail-In Ballot: https://teamrv-mvp.sos.texas.gov/BallotTrackerApp/#/login

The following sections are in this article:

• Primary FAQs
• Voting In-Person FAQs
• Voting by Mail FAQs
• Selected Texas Counties polling location lookup, sample ballot, and elections office information

If you have any questions about this document, contact Niloufar Hafizi at nhafizi@emgageusa.org.

Primary FAQs

What is different about voting in a primary versus voting in a general election?

Primary elections are held by the two major political parties to select the party’s nominees for state, federal, and many local elected offices. When you vote in a primary, you must request to vote on the Democratic or Republican ballot. You are not choosing between candidates of different parties; you are choosing among candidates of the same party to determine who will be the party’s nominated candidate for each elected position.

Later in the year, the candidates selected in the primary will run against each other in the general election.

Can I vote for Democratic candidates for some positions and Republican candidates for other positions?

No. You must select one party’s primary election to vote in, which means you can only vote for the candidates for that party.

I am voting in person. How do I select the primary race I would like to vote in?

When you go to vote in person, you will be asked whether you are voting in the Democratic or the Republican primary. This is completely normal and necessary for the primaries! You will be directed on the correct way to vote for the Republican candidates if you are voting in the Republican primary, or the Democratic candidates if you are voting in the Democratic primary.

I do not want to be a member of either the Republican or Democratic Party. Can I vote in the primary?

You do not need to be a member of either political party to vote in the primaries. Texas has what are called open primaries, which means that you do not need to be a party member to vote in a primary. When you go to vote, you will need to choose a party affiliation; when you affiliate with a party, you are committing that you will not vote in the other party’s primary elections or primary runoff elections. Additionally, once you vote in one party’s primary, you cannot seek to be a party representative for the other party at their conventions. This affiliation only lasts until the end of the year, and does not affect your November general election voting choices.

Example: Sarah votes in the Democratic primary in March. She cannot decide to vote in the Republican primary in the primary runoff elections in May. Additionally, she cannot be eligible to serve as a delegate to the county, state, or national Republican convention, should she want to.

I want to vote for a third party in November. Can I still vote in the primaries?

Yes! You can vote in the primaries for one party and then vote for a different party after the primaries are over.

Ex: Majid identifies as an independent. He votes in the Republican primaries to have a say in which candidates are chosen for the Republican nomination. For the general election in November, he would like to vote for third-party candidates. This is allowed; in non-primary elections, he may vote for candidates of any party he chooses.

I haven’t registered to vote yet. Can I register to vote at the polling location?

No. You must be registered to vote thirty (30) days before an election you want to vote in. This primary is on March 3rd, 2026, so the last day to register was February 2nd, 2026. You can, however, register to vote after February 2nd to be able to vote in future elections.

Voting by Mail FAQs

Applications to Vote By Mail

How do I qualify to vote by mail?
In Texas, you have to meet certain requirements to be able to vote by mail. To qualify for voting by mail, one of the following must apply to you:

• 65 or older by Election Day;
• Have a disability;
• Be out of the county during the entire in-person voting period (early voting and Election Day)
• Be confined in jail (but still eligible)
• Be expecting to give birth within three weeks of Election Day (before or after)

When do I need to have my application to vote by mail turned in?
The last day to have your application for voting by mail (also called absentee voting/absentee ballot) received by the elections authority of your county is Friday, February 20, 2026. Once your application is processed, you will receive your actual ballot by mail. Due to the risk of mail delays or the possibility of needing to correct your application, we strongly recommend having your application sent in earlier.

Can I use an electronic signature on my mail-in ballot application?
No! Your signature must be handwritten.

Can I turn in my ballot application in person?
Yes! You mail in your application, or you can turn it in to your county’s election administrator. Check the locations for select counties at the bottom of this page.

Can I turn in an application for someone else?
NO. You, the voter, must turn in your own mail-in ballot application. You may not turn in an application (or ballot) for anyone else, not even a spouse or other family member.

Can I fax or email in my mail-in ballot application?
You may fax or email your application to your county elections administrator, but you must also provide a physical copy for your application to be valid. You must mail in your physical application or hand in your physical application at the elections office within four (4) days of faxing or emailing it.

If I have voted by mail before, do I still need to apply to vote by mail this election?
You still need to apply, yes! You must apply to vote by mail for each election. If you qualify to vote by mail because you are 65 or older, or due to a disability, you can apply on an annual basis and receive mail-in ballots for one election year. Otherwise, you must apply for each election. Make sure to apply for the primary and the runoff election when you fill out your application!

Mail-in ballot/Other voting by mail questions

I do not know if my mail-in ballot or application was received. Can I track them?

Yes! Texas has statewide ballot tracking available here.

Harris County voters can track their ballot here.

I applied to vote by mail, but never received my ballot. Can I go vote in person on Election Day?

You can vote in person if you cancel your mail-in ballot application. You can cancel your application by faxing or emailing a cancellation statement with your handwritten signature to your county elections office. The statement must contain:

• Name
• Registered Address
• Number used to prove your identity on your mail-in ballot application [Voter ID Number, Texas Driver’s License Number, and/or last four digits of Social Security Number]
• Statement of Action (That you wish to cancel your mail-in ballot application and why)
• Handwritten signature

Check your local elections office to see if there is a special address or fax number for canceling mail-in ballots.

I have not mailed in my ballot yet. What can I do to submit my ballot?

You may submit your ballot to your county elections office (NOT at a voting site) during voting hours on Election Day.

You may also mail in your ballot to your county elections office, but it must be either 1) received by 7 PM on Election Day, March 1; OR 2) received by 5 PM the day after Election Day IF there is a postmark showing it was mailed by 7 PM on Election Day.

Who can turn in my mail-in ballot in person? Do I need a photo ID to turn in my mail-in ballot?

You alone can turn in your mail-in ballot in person to the elections office. While close family members or members of your household are allowed to deposit your mail-in ballot in the mail, you, the voter, must submit your ballot in person. At the designated mail-in ballot drop-off location, you will need to show one of the seven forms of acceptable photo identification listed below that are also required for voting in person.

Can I drop off my mail-in ballot in a dropbox?

No. Dropboxes have been banned in Texas.

Voting In-Person FAQs

I haven’t received my updated voter certificate yet. Do I need my voter certificate to vote?

No, you do not need your voter registration certificate (the postcard-sized certificate sent from your county elections office) to vote. It can be helpful to have, but it is not required. To vote, you must bring one of seven acceptable forms of photo ID in Texas:

1. Texas Driver’s License
2. Texas Election Identification Certificate containing your photograph, issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (different from your voter registration certificate)
3. Texas Personal Identification Card containing your photograph, issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety
4. U.S. Citizenship Certificate containing your photograph
5. Texas Handgun License
6. U.S. Military ID Card containing your photograph
7. U.S. Passport

Please note that a student ID is not an accepted form of identification for voting in Texas.

Can I vote if I do not have an ID?

If you left your ID at home, you should retrieve it. If you do not possess an acceptable form of ID at all, you should still be able to vote. You must provide supporting documentation such as a current utility bill, paycheck, bank statement, or other government document showing your name and that you live at your current address. You will also have to sign a sworn statement called a “Reasonable Impediment Declaration” stating that there was a reasonable barrier to your getting one of the seven acceptable forms of ID.

What can I do if my name is not found on the list of registered voters?

If you are not allowed to vote for a reason relating to your registration, ask for a provisional ballot. You can cast your provisional ballot, and then you will need to visit your county elections office within six (6) days of the election with a photo ID to show that you can vote at your current address.

If you do not provide your photo ID and any other supporting documentation to your county elections office within six calendar days of the election, your vote will not be counted.

I need to vote from my car. Do I have any options for that?

If you have mobility difficulties or cannot enter the polling place for other reasons, you can vote from a car using curbside voting. Each polling location is required by law to have a designated parking space for curbside voters and a call button or a displayed phone number to contact elections staff inside the polling location.

Once you contact the elections staff, an election worker will bring a mobile voting device to your vehicle. To vote curbside, you must also sign a form attesting that you are unable to enter the polling place “without personal assistance or likelihood of injuring my health.” Elections staff are NOT allowed to demand medical documentation or otherwise question your reasons for voting curbside.

Please note that drive-thru voting is no longer an option anywhere in Texas.

Can I vote anywhere in my county?

Many counties allow you to vote anywhere in the county during Early Voting, but you should call or check your county elections office’s website to be certain. The most recent statewide list of counties with countywide voting can be found here, but it may not be up to date.

Please note that for the 2026 primary elections, Dallas County and Williamson County will not have countywide voting on Election Day (but will during early voting).

What can I take with me into the polling location? Can I use my phone while I am voting?

No! You may have your phone with you, but you may not take it out and use it inside the polling location.

You may have paper, including campaign literature, your printed sample ballot, or other paper notes you need to remember which candidates you are voting for.

You cannot have items that advertise a candidate or political party within 100 feet of the polling place, including hats and clothing.

Are the Election Day polling locations and voting hours the same as the Early Voting polling locations and voting hours?

It depends. Check with your county elections site or call your elections administrator first. Some counties add or change polling locations for Election Day. Polls are generally open 7 AM to 7 PM, but this may depend on your county.

Links to election office information for Harris, Brazoria, Fort Bend, Dallas, Galveston, Tarrant, Travis, and Williamson Counties are below.

Brazoria County Elections
1524 E Mulberry Suite 145
Angleton, TX 77515
Email: cclerkelections@brazoria-county.com
Brazoria County Elections Site

Collin County Elections
2010 Redbud Blvd., Suite 102
​McKinney, TX 75069
McKinney: (972) 547-1990
Metro: (972) 424-1460 ext. 1990
Email: election@collincountytx.gov

Collin County Elections Site: www.collincountytx.gov/Elections

Dallas County Elections
1520 Round Table Drive
Dallas, TX 75247
Main Office: (469) 627-VOTE (8683)                                                                                                                                        Dallas County Elections Site: www.dallascountyvotes.org/

Fort Bend County Elections
Physical address: 3730 Bamore Rd
Rosenberg, TX 77471
Mailing address: 301 Jackson St.
Richmond, Texas 77469
(281) 341-8670
Email: vote@fbctx.gov
Fort Bend County Elections Site

Galveston County
Mailing Address: Galveston County Clerk
P.O. Box 17253
Galveston, TX 77552
Physical Address:
10000 Emmett F. Lowry Expressway, Suite 1152
Texas City, Texas 77591
409-770-5108
Galveston County Elections Site: galvestonvotes.org

Harris County
15600 Morales Rd
Houston, TX 77032
Phone: (713) 755-6965
Voting by mail: (713) 755-3150
Email: voters@harrisvotes.com
Harris County Elections Site: harrisvotes.com
Harris County Voting Site Locator
Harris County Sample Ballot Lookup

Tarrant County
Elections Center:
2700 Premier Street
Fort Worth, TX 76111
Phone: 817-831-8683                                                                                                                                                                Tarrant County Elections Site: www.tarrantcountytx.gov/en/elections.html

Travis County
Elections Division
Travis County Clerk
5501 Airport Boulevard
Austin, TX 78751                                                                                                                                                                        Phone: (512) 238-8683
elections@traviscounty.go

Travis County Elections Site: votetravis.gov

Williamson County
Physical address: 301 SE Inner Loop
Ste 104
Georgetown, TX 78626                                                                                                                                                           Mailing address:  P.O. Box 209
Georgetown, TX 78627                                                                                                                                                            Phone: (512) 943-1630                                                                                                                                                      Williamson County Elections: www.wilcotx.gov/elections

Eligibility:

• Be a U.S. citizen
• Be a resident of the county where you submit the application
• Be at least 17 years and 10 months old on the date your voter registration application is submitted, and will be 18 years of age on Election Day
• Not be a convicted felon (you may be eligible to vote if you have completed your sentence, probation, and parole)
• Now have been declared by a court exercising probate jurisdiction to be either totally mentally incapacitated or partially mentally incapacitated without the right to vote

What you need:

• Texas driver’s license number or Texas personal ID
• Social Security Number

Click here to register to vote!