Texas 2022 elections voter guide: What you need to know

Who can register to vote in Texas?

US citizens in Texas can register to vote if they are 18 years of age or older, or will be 18 on Election Day.

State citizens cannot register to vote if they have been convicted of a felony and are still serving a sentence, including probation or probation, or if they have been found by a court to be mentally disabled. Here are more eligibility details.

How do I register to vote?

You must complete and submit a paper voter registration application by October 11.

You can request a stamped application by mail or find an application at the district voter registration offices and some post offices, government offices, or high schools. You can also print out the online application and send it to the voter register in your district.

Applications must be sent by October 11th. Download your application here.

Additionally, you can register with the Texas Department of Public Safety to vote while renewing your driver’s license, even if you do so online. This is the only form of online registration in the state.

After registering to vote, you will receive a voter registration certificate within 30 days. It contains your voter information including the unique voter identification number needed to update your voter registration online. If the certificate contains incorrect information, you must make note of corrections and send it to your local voter register as soon as possible.

The voter ID can also be used as a second ID when casting your vote if you do not have one of the seven state-recognized photo IDs. More information here.

Do I have to register again to vote?

Once you register to vote, you generally remain registered, but there are a variety of reasons you might want to check your registration status. For example, you may need to update your registration after a name or address change. You can make these updates online here.

If, after mailing a voter registration certificate, a district receives a dead letter or suspects a change of address, a voter will be 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 complete a “declaration of residence” when voting, but they may have to vote at their previous polling station or at a restricted poll. If a suspended voter does nothing, they’ll be removed from the electoral roll after about four years, said Sam Taylor, a spokesman for the Texas Secretary of State’s office.

The state is also conducting reviews of voter rolls to remove what officials suspect are unauthorized registrations that have in the past incorrectly identified naturalized citizens. Federal law prevents the state from removing registered voters within 90 days of a federal election unless the voter has died, been convicted of a felony, or was declared mentally incapacitated. This means that naturalized citizens should not be removed from electoral rolls for citizenship requests after August 10.

If you have concerns about your voter registration, you can check them online here.

“We would urge people to do this well before the October 11 deadline to give them ample time to fix any issues,” Taylor said.

But if a voter is mistagged, Taylor said they can still vote if they show proof of citizenship, such as a naturalization certificate or US passport, at the polls.

What if I moved after the voter registration deadline?

You must reside in a Texas county by the voter registration deadline to vote in the upcoming election, unless you qualify to vote by mail. You can read more about absentee voting and postal voting here.

If you have moved within the same district or political subdivision, you can vote at your previous polling station. Or you can vote at your new polling station on a ballot limited to the elections you would vote in at both polling stations, e.g. B. at national races. However, limited ballots are only available during early voting at a “Principal Early Voting Polling Station,” which is usually the office of the Election Administrator or District Clerk who conducts the elections in your district. The primary polling location should be noted on a district’s list of polling locations.

Eligible people affected by homelessness can vote, Taylor said, as long as they provide an address and a description of where they live when they register. Your mailing address may vary if required, but a PO Box address cannot be given as a residential address.

What do I do if I’m having trouble with my voter registration?

If you have questions or concerns about your registration, contact your county’s voter registration office here.

Polling stations typically have “resolution desks” where poll workers can raise registration issues.

You can also find more information on the Secretary of State’s FAQs at votetexas.gov.