HOW DO I VOTE?
There are three ways to vote. Make a plan and, remember, you must vote in the county you are registered.
Early In-person: Voters in Texas may vote early in person. Early voting starts Monday, October 21st and ends on Friday, November 1st.
Election Day: Voting sites will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, November 5th. If you are in line by the close of polls, then you have the right to vote.
Absentee ballot application: Texas voters may vote by mail if they will be away from their county on Election Day and during the in-person early voting period. A vote by mail application for the November Presidential election must be received by the Elections office by Friday, October 25th. The ballot itself must be received by 7pm Election Day.
Early In-person: Voters in Texas may vote early in person. Early voting starts Monday, October 21st and ends on Friday, November 1st.
Election Day: Voting sites will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, November 5th. If you are in line by the close of polls, then you have the right to vote.
Absentee ballot application: Texas voters may vote by mail if they will be away from their county on Election Day and during the in-person early voting period. A vote by mail application for the November Presidential election must be received by the Elections office by Friday, October 25th. The ballot itself must be received by 7pm Election Day.
WHERE CAN I VOTE?
Many counties in Texas have countywide polling centers. This means you can vote at any polling location in the county where you are registered to vote.
In about 100 counties in Texas to include Bexar, Comal, Kendall, Guadalupe, Hays, Blanco, Medina and Atascosa, you can vote at any polling center in the county. To check if your county allows countywide voting, click on the following link: SECRETARY OF STATE
To check where you can vote in Bexar County, click on the following link: BEXAR COUNTY VOTING LOCATIONS
WHAT ID DO I NEED TO VOTE?
Bring your Texas driver's license if you have one. Your student ID won't work. If you don't have any of the 7 approved forms of photo ID, you can still vote after completing a Reasonable Impediment Declaration as long as you have one of the secondary forms of ID.
WHAT DO I DO AT THE POLLING SITE?
Some people are worried that they won't know what to do once they get to the polling center. It's easy!
When you walk into the polling place, be sure to have your Texas driver's license or other approved ID ready to hand to the election worker. Note that you do NOT need your voter registration card to vote. Once the election worker confirms you're registered to vote, they will hand you a ballot. After that, another election worker will have you sign a log. You may be given a pencil so you can use it's eraser to make your selection on the touchscreen of the voting machine (a relic of the pandemic, but still good hygiene!)
When you walk into the polling place, be sure to have your Texas driver's license or other approved ID ready to hand to the election worker. Note that you do NOT need your voter registration card to vote. Once the election worker confirms you're registered to vote, they will hand you a ballot. After that, another election worker will have you sign a log. You may be given a pencil so you can use it's eraser to make your selection on the touchscreen of the voting machine (a relic of the pandemic, but still good hygiene!)
There will be election workers who help you get to a voting machine.
1. Once there, you will feed your ballot into the slot on the lower right of the voting machine (see image above).
2. Then you will see the candidates on the ballot, and you can begin selecting your preferred candidates.
3. Once completed, be sure to verify all your choices and then print your ballot.
Take your printed ballot to a machine (usually near the exit) and feed your ballot into the machine. Once you've done that, an election worker will give you a "I Voted" sticker! Please remember the election workers are there to help you exercise your right to vote.
WHO IS ON THE BALLOT?
To see who is on your ballot, click on the following link to non-partisan voter guide: VOTER GUIDE
WHY VOTE IN EVERY ELECTION?
There are three levels of government - local, state and federal. Each level has a different focus that impacts you and your future in specific ways.
Local Government
Local government focuses on roads, sidewalks and drainage; garbage, sewer, water and other public services; establishing property tax rate (county services, school boards, hospitals, college districts, etc); transit services; election administration; zoning and permits; police, fire fighters and emergency services; and public health.
State Government
State government focuses on funding public education; such as ensuring the Texas grid is reliable; implementing the state budget which determines the level of taxing; state highways and bridges; environmental quality; prisons; foster care; public universities and community colleges; and healthcare.
Federal Government
Federal government focuses on the federal tax code; US military; foreign relations; veterans administration; civil rights; energy efficiency standards; climate policy; federal student loans and forgiveness; housing policy; federal highway; ports and airports; medical research; national parks; trade policy; immigration and customs.
TEXAS ELECTION CYCLE
In Texas, we have elections in March, May and November – some in odd years and some in even years. It’s a LOT of elections. So here’s your breakdown so you know when you need to vote.
Even years (2024, 2026, 2028, etc)
First Tuesday of March:
- 2024, 2028, etc: Presidential Primary election, US Senate (half), US Congressional (all), Texas Senate (half), Texas House (all), county offices (some)
- 2026, 2030, etc: Texas primary election for Governor, Lt Gov, Attorney General, some Railroad commissioners, Agriculture Commissioner, Land Commissioner, US Congressional (all), Texas Senate (half), Texas House (all), county offices (some)
In a Primary election, you must declare that you are either voting in the Democratic or Republican primary. You are voting on who in the party is going to be on the general election ballot in November, e.g., Donald J. Trump or Nikki Haley.
First Saturday of May: Some school board elections – the timing of each election is captured on the school district’s website.
Fourth Tuesday of May: Run-off elections for the top two candidates if neither received 50% of the vote in the Texas primary (March)
First Tuesday of November:
- 2024, 2028, etc: Presidential election, some school board elections
- 2026, 2030, etc: Gubernatorial election, some school board elections
Odd Years (2025, 2027, 2029, etc)
First Tuesday of May: San Antonio municipal elections for Mayor and City Council; some school board elections.
First Tuesday of November: Election to pass amendments to the Texas Constitution; some county positions, some school board elections.
Other important links
(Polling locations only available 3-4 weeks before election)
