How to Vote

Voting Tips

What to Bring

All you need to bring to the polls is one of the following acceptable ID cards:

1. Texas Driver License issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)
2. Texas Election Identification Certificate issued by DPS (click here for more info)
3. Texas Personal Identification Card issued by DPS
4. Texas Handgun License issued by DPS
5. United States Military Identification Card containing the person’s photograph
6. United States Citizenship Certificate containing the person’s photograph
7. United States Passport (book or card)
Note 1: your chosen form of ID may be no more than 4 years expired. If it is over 4 years expired you will not be able to vote.
Note 2: the address on your ID does not have to match the address you used when registering to vote.
You do not need to bring your yellow voters registration card, unless you have applied for and been accepted for disability which prevents you from bringing one of the 7 forms of acceptable ID.
The ballot is going to have both local and national candidates/issues on it. Make sure to educate yourself on what will appear on the ballot before you go to the polls. Check out your ballot here.
Usually your local news sources will run stories about the issues on the upcoming ballots. Local news websites and local newspapers are a good place to start learning who and what you'll be voting for.

Where to Go

During Early Voting, you can vote at any polling location in the county you are registered. Early Voting lasts for 18 days, from Tuesday 10/13 to Friday 10/30.
On Election Day (Tuesday 11/3), however, depending on your county of residence, you may only have one polling place available to you. Click here to view a list of Texas counties that are approved to use the Countywide Polling Place Program (meaning you can vote at any polling place in the county).
To find the polling places within your precinct, visit this website and use your Date of Birth plus one of the following:
1. your VUID Number (found on your yellow voter registration card),
2. your Texas Drivers License Number, or
3. your Full Name and County of Residence.
Always check your polling location on the day you go to vote. Sometimes they change last minute, or are combined with other precincts due to lack of registration in one.

Know Your Rights!

As a voter in Texas, you have the right to...

...stay in line, even if the "polls close". Everyone standing in line before the polls close has the right to vote.
...cast a PROVISIONAL BALLOT if your name does not appear on the list of registered voters. A mistake in the bureaucracy should not prevent you from voting.
...ask the polling place official for instructions on how to cast a ballot.
...a ballot with written instructions on how to cast a ballot.
...cast your vote in secret and free from intimidation.
...receive up to two additional ballots if you make a mistake while marking the ballot. This applies to locations that use voting machines to create ballots as well.
...bring an interpreter to assist you as you qualify to vote if you do not understand the English language. Help to cast your ballot if you cannot write, see the ballot, or understand the language in which it is written.
...report a possible voting rights abuse to the Secretary of State (1.800.252.8683) or to your local election official.
...find a copy of your full rights at the poll here: https://www.votetexas.gov/mobile/rights.htm
...check your current registration status here using your DOB, VUID#, Drivers License number, or full name+county of residence.