Friday Is the Deadline to Request a Mail Ballot Application in Texas

If you are planning to vote by mail in the November election and haven’t yet submitted your application for a mail/absentee ballot, Friday is the last day you can do it. 

There is no way a mailed application will arrive on time, but you can still meet the deadline by faxing or emailing the application. Just keep in mind that a hard copy version of the application must be put in the mail and received by your local election supervisor within four days. 

You may vote by mail in Texas if:

• you are 65 years or older;
• you are disabled;
• you will be out of the county on Election Day and during early voting; or
• you are confined in jail, but otherwise eligible, or certified for participation in the address confidentiality program.

Mail Ballot Directions

1. Use the Absentee Ballot Tool to prepare your application.
2. Make sure to sign and date the form.
3. Fax or email your completed application to your local election office today.
4. If you fax or email your application by the deadline, your application will be considered complete and timely as long as the original is mailed to the clerk and received by the early voting clerk by the fourth business day after it was submitted by fax or email.

Once You Receive Your Ballot

1. Carefully read and follow the instructions.
2. Sign and date where indicated.
3. Mail your voted ballot back to the address indicated on the return envelope or drop it off at your county’s designated mail ballot drop-off location before or on Election Day, Nov. 3. If you mail the ballot back, it must be postmarked no later than Election Day. If you send it on Election Day, it will only be counted if it arrives by 5 p.m. the day after the election.

Counties are no longer required to notify voters if their mail ballot is rejected, but many are continuing the practice. Nonetheless, it is important to remember to fill out the application carefully and accurately. Here is information on tracking your mail ballot.