Early voting in the March 1 primary elections is underway until Friday, Feb. 25.
Texas has open primaries, so voters don’t register with a party ahead of the election. Voters choose which party’s ballot they want at the polling location. But they can’t vote in both Republican and Democratic primaries in the same election.
Here’s what you need to know.
Make sure you’re registered
Go here to verify your registration anywhere in the state.
Polling locations
Harris County registered voters can vote at any Election Day polling location — early voting and election day polling sites here.
Most polling sites across the county will be open until 7 p.m.
Voters can find their counties’ personalized voting information, such as sample ballots and election information, on the Texas Secretary of State’s website.
Don’t forget your ID
Make sure to bring a photo ID. The ID should be up to date or expired up to four years. Voters 70 or older can bring a photo ID that has been expired for any length of time.
If you had trouble getting an ID and can’t get one, here are some alternatives:
- government document showing your name and an address, such as your voter registration certificate
- current utility bill
- bank statement
- government check
- paycheck
- birth certificate
If you use one of these, you’ll have to sign a form that says you had a reasonable impediment to getting an ID.
Want to vote by mail?
The deadline to apply to vote by mail is Friday, Feb. 18. To be eligible to vote by mail, according to the Texas Secretary of State’s office, you must be:
- be 65 years or older;
- be sick or disabled;
- be out of the county on Election Day and during the period for early voting by personal appearance; or
- be expected to give birth within three weeks before or after Election Day; or
- be confined in jail, but otherwise eligible.
To apply, download and print an application here. Fill it out, and mail it into the county clerk or elections administrator in your county. Find their address here.
Note: Thousands of voters have had their vote-by-mail applications flagged for rejection because of Texas’ new ID matching requirement. The ID voters use to apply for a mail-in ballot — their Social Security number, for example — must match the ID they used when they registered to vote. Read more about that here.
What’s on the ballot?
A number of federal, state and local elections are on the ballot. This includes several Texas seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, as well as Texas Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Commissioner of the General Land Office, and Attorney General.
Additionally, several seats on Texas House of Representatives — including Senate District 15 — Harris County Judge and County Commissioners are on the ballot here in Harris County.