Ballot by Mail
ballotbymail.org · nonpartisan
ballotbymail.org · nonpartisan
November 3, 2026 general election
Voting by mail in Texas
Only with a qualifying reason. You need an approved reason, such as travel, illness or disability, age, or work. Check your state's list. If you don't qualify, early in-person voting is usually an option. Voters 65 and older qualify automatically.
Key dates
| Register to vote by | Mon, Oct 5 |
| Mail ballot request received by | Fri, Oct 23 |
| Early in-person voting | Mon, Oct 19 – Fri, Oct 30 |
| Mail your ballot by | Tue, Oct 27 (USPS: allow 7 days) |
| Election Day | Tue, Nov 3 |
| Return rule | Postmarked by 7 p.m. on Election Day and received by 5 p.m. Nov. 4. |
| Fix a signature problem by | Mon, Nov 9 |
Steps
- Check the excuse list on your state's site. Common ones: away on Election Day, illness or disability, 65 or older, work hours.
- If you qualify, request now and include the reason exactly as the form asks.
- If you don't qualify, look up early in-person voting. It's available in most excuse states.
- When your ballot arrives, fill it out in blue or black ink and sign the envelope.
- Return it the way your state requires and track it until it shows received.
Don't get rejected
- Write the same ID number you used to register (driver's license or last four of SSN) on the carrier envelope. Mismatched numbers were the top reason Texas rejected ballots in 2022.
- Sign the envelope the way you signed your voter registration or driver's license. Your state compares them.
- Use the secrecy sleeve if one is included, then the return envelope. Don't tape anything.
- Keep the phone and email on your registration current. If there's a problem, that's how they reach you to fix it.
Official election office
https://www.votetexas.gov/
https://www.votetexas.gov/
Track your ballot
https://teamrv-mvp.sos.texas.gov/BallotTrackerApp/#/login
https://teamrv-mvp.sos.texas.gov/BallotTrackerApp/#/login
This page, with live updates
ballotbymail.org/state/tx
ballotbymail.org/state/tx
Trouble voting? 866-OUR-VOTE (English) · 888-VE-Y-VOTA (Español) · 888-API-VOTE (Asian languages) · 844-YALLA-US (العربية)
Rules checked 2026-09-09; deadlines checked 2026-09-09. Sources: NCSL, Vote.org, CEIR, state election offices. The official site wins if anything differs. Free to copy and post.