Tuesday is the deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 7 election. Texans will get to vote on 14 propositions to change the state’s Constitution. Among other things, those amendments could raise homestead exemptions for homeowners, reduce property taxes for child-care facilities and allow for retired teachers to get a cost-of-living adjustment as part of their pensions.
Depending on where you live, you may also see some local races and propositions on your ballot.
What’s on my ballot?
Sample ballots are available on your county’s election website.
Here are some examples:
To see only those items that will be on your ballot based on your address, visit the League of Women Voters’ voter guide at vote411.org.
A breakdown of the constitutional amendments from The Texas Tribune can be found here.
What do I need to do to vote?
You must register by Oct. 10 to vote in the Nov. 7 election.
To be eligible to register to vote, you must:
- be a United States citizen
- be a resident of the county you are applying to vote in
- be at least 18 years old by Election Day
- not have been declared mentally incapacitated by a court
- not be a convicted felon (though you may be eligible if you were pardoned or completed your sentence, probation and parole)
In Texas, you cannot register to vote online — unless you are renewing, replacing or updating your Texas driver's license or ID on the DPS website.
If you submit a voter registration application by mail, it must be postmarked by Oct. 10 to vote in the fall election. That won’t necessarily happen if you drop it off in a mailbox today.
At this point it may be better to visit your county voter registrar or elections office to submit your application in person.
You can find some local offices here:
- Travis County (closed Monday, Oct. 9)
- Williamson County
- Hays County
You can also fill out a voter registration application with local groups, like the League of Women Voters. Volunteer deputy registrars have applications for you to fill out and will hand them in to the county voter registrar’s office for you. Contact your local League for registration events.
Do I need to renew my voter registration?
If you have changed your name or moved within Texas — especially if you have moved to a different county — you should update your voter registration information online. You can also submit an updated physical application before the deadline.
You can check your current voter registration information at the Texas Secretary of State’s “My Voter Portal.” Just fill in your birthdate along with either your voter unique identifier (VUID), Texas driver's license number, or your name and county.
What kind of ID will I need to register or vote?
To register to vote, you can use your Texas driver's license or Texas personal ID number issued by the Department of Public Safety (DPS). If you don’t have either of those, you can use the last four digits of your Social Security number.
But when you head to your polling location to vote, you will need to present one of these valid forms of photo ID:
- Texas driver's license (DPS issued)
- Texas election identification Certificate (DPS issued)
- Texas personal ID card (DPS issued)
- Texas handgun license (DPS issued)
- U.S. military photo ID
- U.S. citizenship certificate
- U.S. passport (book or card)
You can still use your ID to vote if it expired within the last four years. If you are 70 or older, you can use it regardless of when it expired.
If you couldn’t reasonably obtain one of the above forms of ID, you can use a supporting form of identification like a bank statement or utility bill. But you must sign a document saying you had reasonable impediment to getting a valid photo ID — like lack of transportation, work schedule, illness or family responsibilities.
Important dates for the Nov. 7 election:
- Oct. 10 — Deadline to register to vote or update your address
- Oct. 23 — Early voting begins
- Oct. 27 — Deadline to apply for a ballot by mail
- Nov. 3 — Early voting ends
- Nov. 7 — Election Day
Copyright 2023 KUT 90.5. To see more, visit KUT 90.5. 9(MDA4OTAxNzAzMDEzMjc0MTc2MzA5ZDZlMw004))
