Any United States citizen may vote...
- Provided that you are:
- 1. a resident of the county
- 2. at least 18 years of age on election day
- 3. registered to vote
- 4. not a convicted felon (unless a person’s sentence
is completed, including any probation or parole)
- 5. not declared mentally disabled by a court of law
You may register to vote at any time:
- Complete a postage-free post card application and mail it,
or take it in person to the voter registrar in your county.
- You must be at least 17 years and ten months of age on the
date your application is submitted.
- Your application must be submitted 30 days before an election
for you to be eligible to vote in that election.
- Your spouse, parent or child (acting as an agent) may complete
and sign a voter registration application for you, provided
that this person is a registered voter, or has applied for
voter registration.
- If any of the information on the application is incomplete,
you will be notified and required to send a second application.
The second application must be received by the Voter Registrar
within 10 days.
You will receive a Voter Registration Certificate
within 30 days:
- Check your certificate to make sure all information is correct.
(If there is a mistake, immediately make corrections and return
it to the registrar.)
- Present your certificate at the polling place on election
day.
- You will receive a color-coded certificate every two years.
- The color of the 2000-2001 voter registration certificate
is yellow and white.
Change of address moving within the same county:
- Promptly notify the voter registrar in writing of
your new address by:
- correcting the information on your current voter registration
certificate and returning it to the voter registrar; or
- by filling out a new voter registration form and checking
the change box.
- You will receive a new, corrected certificate.
- You will be able to vote in your new precinct 30 days after
your notice has been received.
Meanwhile:
- You may vote a full ballot in your former precinct if your
registration has not become effective in the new precinct.
- You must notify the voter registrar of your change of address
as soon as possible.
Name change:
- Promptly notify the voter registrar in writing of
the change following the same steps for change of address.
- Your spouse, parent or child (acting as an agent) may complete
and sign a change of name for you, provided that this person
is a registered voter or has applied for registration.
- You will receive a new, corrected certificate 30 days after
your notice is received.
- You may continue to vote. Vote by affidavit during this
time if you used your certificate as your notice of name change.
Change of address
Moving to another county:
- You must re-register! Complete an application and mail it
or take it in person to the voter registrar of your new county.
- You will be registered 30 days after your application is
submitted.
- You will receive a new certificate.
- You may be eligible to vote a limited ballot in your new
county of residence for 90 days after moving if:
- you were registered to vote in your former county at
the time you moved;
- an election is held within 90 days after the move; and
- your registration in the new county is not yet effective.
- If you vote a limited ballot, you may vote on all statewide
offices, statewide propositions, and district offices which
are common to both counties.
- You must apply for a limited ballot and vote by personal
appearance with the early voting clerk conducting the election
in your new county during the early voting period which generally
begins on the 17th day and ends on the 4th day before an election,
or by mail if you are already eligible to vote by mail. You
can not vote a limited ballot on election day.
If you lose or misplace your certificate:
Notify the voter registrar in writing and they will
issue you a new one.
You may vote without your certificate by signing
an affidavit at the polling place and showing some form of identification.
Volunteer Deputy Registrar:
After you have become a registered voter, you may
wish to become a volunteer deputy registrar by applying with the
voter registrar of your county. For more information or assistance,
call the Office of the Secretary of State toll-free at 1-800-252-VOTE
(8683).
Helpful Definitions:
A county is composed of many county election precincts.
Voters are registered within a precinct according to their residence
address.
Affidavit-a sworn statement made before an authorized
person.
Agent-spouse, parent or child who may register for
you or change registration information for you.
Voter Registrar-In most counties, it is your Tax
Assessor-Collector whose responsibility includes voter registration.
In other counties, it may be the County Clerk or an Elections
Administrator.
Voting Station-the voting booth or other place where
voters mark their ballots or otherwise indicate their votes at
a polling place.
Published by the
Elections Division of the
Office of the Secretary of State:
P.O. Box 12060 Austin, Texas 78711-2060
http://www.sos.state.tx.us
(512) 463-5650
1-800-252-VOTE(8683)
Fax (512) 475-2811
TDD 1-800-735-2989
This pamphlet is available in large print, audiotape,
or computer disc upon request.
The Office of the Secretary of State does not discriminate
on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age
or disability in employment or the provision of services.
