How to vote by mail in Texas ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections

With early voting approaching, longtime election workers and first-time volunteers alike are learning the latest procedures before voters head to the polls.

Election day is less than a month away and election workers across the state are preparing polling places, but some Texans may choose to vote by mail.

Texans can get a formal application for a ballot by mail, or an ABBM, online, at the Secretary of State's office, or from the early voting clerk in your county.

If you are voting early because of an expected absence, you may apply in person for a ballot by mail before the early “voting in person” period begins, which is usually the 17th day before the election.

If you are voting by mail because you are disabled or are 65 years of age or older, you may use a single application to request ballots by mail for all county elections in the calendar year. To do so, mark “Annual Application” on your application for ABBM when selecting the election for which you are applying.

To vote by mail, you must provide ONE of the following numbers on your ABBM:

• Texas Driver’s License, Texas Personal Identification Number, or Election Identification Certificate Number issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (NOT your voter registration VUID number); OR
• If you have not been issued one of the numbers above, the last 4 digits of your Social Security Number
• If you have not been issued a Texas Driver’s License, Texas Personal Identification Number, Texas Election Identification Certificate Number, or a Social Security Number, you must indicate so by checking the appropriate box on the ABBM.

You can write your own application for a ballot by mail, as long as it is in writing and includes:

• The applicant’s name;
• The applicant’s address;
• The number of the applicant’s driver’s license or personal identification card issued by DPS, or if the applicant has not been issued one of those numbers, the last four digits of the applicant’s Social Security number, or a statement that the applicant has not been issued either of those numbers;
• The address at which the applicant is registered;
• The address to which ballot is to be mailed, if different and if authorized by law (see below);
• A valid ground for voting by mail;
• If you are voting by mail on the grounds of disability, the following statement: “I affirm that I have a sickness or physical condition that prevents me from appearing at the polling place on Election Day without a likelihood of needing personal assistance or of injuring my health.”
• An indication of the election for which the applicant is applying to vote by mail; AND
• The signature of the applicant or witness, if applicable.

Send your ballot-by-mail application to the Early Voting Clerk in the county where you are registered to vote. Applications must be received (not postmarked) by the last day of the application period. All applications to vote by mail must be received by the early voting clerk before the close of regular business or noon, whichever is later.

For the November 3, 2026 Election, the last day your ABBM can be received by your Early Voting Clerk is Friday, October 23, 2026.

Applications to vote by mail must be submitted in person or by mail, common or contract carrier, email, or fax. If you fax or e-mail your application to the Early Voting Clerk, you must also mail the application so that the Clerk receives it no later than the fourth business day after the day the Clerk received your faxed or emailed application. If you fax or e-mail your application by the deadline noted below, your application will be considered complete and timely as long as the original is received by the Early Voting Clerk by the fourth business day after it was submitted by fax or e-mail.

You may send in your application for a ballot by mail to the Early Voting Clerk by:

• In-person delivery;
• Regular mail;
• Common or contract carrier; or
• Fax (if a fax machine is available to the Early Voting Clerk)
• Email (send a signed, scanned application as an attachment to an email to the early voting clerk)