Stop the Press: Texas Voter Registration

For more information, please read the Voter Registration in Texas pamphlet.

The Elections Division of the Secretary of State’s Office is open from 8:00 a.m.

Registering to vote is easy in Texas.

The Secretary of State’s Elections Division provides assistance and advice to election officials on the proper conduct of elections.

Thank you for your interest in Texas elections.

Or, you can call the voter registrar’s office in the county where you reside.

We hope that this information will give you an overview of the entire voting process in Texas, from voter registration, knowing your rights as a voter, finding your polling place, and finally, casting your ballot.

If you know that you have not registered to vote then please use the Informal Online Application service which is displayed to the right.

Registering to vote is easy in Texas.

A: The deadline to register and be eligible to vote in the November 4, 2008 General Election is October 6, 2008.

The below Frequently Asked Questions have been compiled with the November 4, 2008 General Election in mind.

You may, of course, register at any time before that date to ensure that your registration is effective for voting in November.

You may obtain an application from the county Voter Registrar’s office, the Secretary of State’s Office, libraries, many post offices, or high schools.

In some counties, the County Clerk or Elections Administrator registers voters.

This includes hosting seminars and elections schools, providing election calendars, ballot certification, primary election funding, and providing legal interpretations of election laws to assist our election officials.

LIMITED BALLOT OPTION: If you have moved to a new county and have not re-registered in the new county by the October 6, 2008 deadline, you may be eligible to vote a limited ballot in your new county.

Note: This service is best viewed on Internet Explorer 7 and higher or Firefox.

If you miss the deadline , you may vote in your former precinct as long as you still reside in the political subdivision conducting the election.

Upon receipt of the voter registration certificate, sign it, fold it and keep in it in your wallet and take it to the polls with you when you vote.

The county office will then put your name on the voter registration list, generate your voter certificate and mail it to you.

The County Clerk or Elections Administrator can give you the specific location of your polling place, or you can check on-line to see if the County Clerk or Elections Administrator has that information posted.

The County Voter Registrar’s address can be found at the top of the online outputted voter registration application once you have submitted your information from the fill-in-the blanks screen.

Please feel free to use our Texas Voter Information Website that not only confirms whether you are registered or not, but will even allow you to search for your polling place location prior to an election.

If your registration in the new county is not yet effective, you may be able to vote a “limited” ballot in your new county of residence on candidates or issues common between your old and new county.

Answers to questions on election law and procedures may be obtained by telephoning the Elections Division toll-free at 1.800.252.VOTE or direct at 512.463.5650.

In most Texas counties, the Tax Assessor-Collector is also the Voter Registrar.

We encourage you to explore our website for more detailed information on elections and voting in Texas.

All you need is a Texas Driver’s license to get started.

There are two uniform election dates in Texas for political subdivisions, those being the months of May and November.

Call your County Clerk, County Elections Administrator, or political subdivision conducting the election in order to find your polling location.