Casting Your Ballot

Where is my Polling Location?

• During Early Voting: you can vote at any polling location in your county, and you can look up your county’s polling locations here: Am I Registered to Vote? 

• On Election Day: 

  • If you live in a county that uses Countywide Polling Locations, you can vote at any polling location or vote center in your county

    • A list of the counties using Countywide Polling Locations can be found here: Counties Using Countywide Polling

  • If you live in a county that doesn’t use Countywide Polling Locations, you can contact your County’s Election Office or look-up your polling location here: Polling Location Lookup

​

What ID Do I Need to Vote?

• Texas has the strictest Voter ID law in the nation, so it's extremely important that you bring the correct type of ID.  

• If you have any of the following types of ID, you MUST bring it with you when you go vote:

  • Texas Driver License

  • Texas Election Identification Certificate

  • Texas Personal Identification Card

  • Texas Handgun License

  • US Military Identification Card with your photo

  • US Citizenship Certificate with your photo

  • US Passport (book or card)

• If you have an expired ID:

  • For voters 18-69: your ID can’t be expired by more than four years 

  • For voters 70 or older: your ID can be expired by any amount of time

​

What if I Don’t Have one of those acceptable forms of photo ID?

• If you don’t have one of those specific types of photo ID, you will need to provide a “supporting” type of identification in order to cast your ballot. 

  • Supporting Types of Identification include:

    • Out-of-state driver’s license

    • A voter registration certificate

    • Current utility bill

    • Bank statement

    • Government check

    • Paycheck

    • Certified U.S. birth certificate

    • Document (including foreign birth certificates) that establishes your identity

  • You must also fill out a “Reasonable Impediment Declaration” stating truthfully that you were unable to obtain one of the acceptable forms of photo ID for one of the following reasons:

    • A lack of transportation, 

    • A disability or illness, 

    • A lack of a birth certificate or other documents needed to obtain an acceptable photo ID, 

    • Work schedule, 

    • Family responsibilities, 

    • A lost or stolen ID, or 

    • You applied for an acceptable form of photo ID but have not received it by the time you try to vote.

• Poll Workers are NOT allowed to question the reason you list on your Reasonable Impediment Declaration.

​

If I don’t have, or I’m unable to present, either an acceptable form of photo ID or a supporting type of ID needed to fill out a Reasonable Impediment Form, can I still cast a ballot?

• If you don’t have an acceptable form of photo ID or the supporting ID needed to fill out a Reasonable Impediment Form, or you are unable to present either of those types of ID when you go to vote, you are allowed to cast a provisional ballot.

  • In order for your provisional ballot to be counted, you MUST visit your County Voter Registrar’s office in person within 6 calendar days of the date of the election AND 

    • present an acceptable form of photo ID; or

    • follow the Reasonable Impediment Declaration procedure

  • We recommend that if you find yourself in this position, that you leave your polling location and get either an acceptable photo ID or supporting ID needed for a Reasonable Impediment Form and return to your polling location before it closes so that you can cast a regular ballot.  A provisional ballot should always be considered your final option.

​

What if I’m not Physically able to cast my Ballot at my Polling Location?

• If you’re not able to physically enter the polling location without personal assistance or the likelihood of injuring your health, then you can request a curbside ballot that will be brought to the entrance of the polling location or directly to your car.

  • After you’re done with your ballot you can either hand it to the poll worker who brought the ballot to you or designate a companion to bring the ballot to the poll workers inside your polling location.

  • You will need to sign a statement under penalty of perjury stating that you need a curbside ballot because you cannot safely enter the polling place.

  • If you need a curbside ballot, we recommend that you call your County’s Elections Office before you leave to go vote and tell them what polling location you’ll be voting at so they know that you’ll need assistance.

​

What type of assistance can voters receive while casting their ballot?

• Voters can get assistance reading, filling out, and casting a ballot if they:

  • Cannot read or write; or

  • Have a physical disability that prevents them from reading or marking the ballot; or

  • Cannot speak English, or communicate only with sign language, and want assistance in communicating with election officials.

• The Voter needing assistance can select anyone to assist them EXCEPT:

  • Their employer;

  • An agent of their employer; or

  • An officer or agent of their labor union.

• Anyone assisting a voter must take an oath stating that they will not try to influence or manipulate the voter’s vote.

• If the voter chooses to be assisted by polling place officials, poll watchers and election inspectors may observe the voting process, BUT if the voter asks to be assisted by a person the voter chooses, no one else may watch them vote.

  • If the voter cannot read the languages on the ballot, the interpreter may also act as an assistant for the voter.

  • If the voter is deaf and does not have a sign language interpreter who can accompany them, we recommend that the voter should contact their local election officials before going to vote.

  • Poll watchers may ask for and receive a written translation of any language other than English spoken to a voter by an election official.

 

What can I bring with me to my Polling Location?

• Within 100 Feet of the entrance to a polling location, or 20 feet of a curbside voting parking spot, nobody is allowed to post, use, or distribute any political signs or literature relating to a candidate, political party or measure appearing on your ballot in the current election.  This is called Electioneering.

  • These boundaries must be clearly marked.

• Voters may not use any of the following devices in their polling location:

  • Cell phones;

  • Cameras;

  • Tablet computers;

  • Laptop computers;

  • Sound recorders; or 

  • Any other device that may communicate wirelessly, or be used to record sound or images.

  • If you need one of these devices as an accommodation for an illness or disability, you can request that the election judge at your polling location allow you to use it while voting, but it’s up to their discretion about whether to grant that accommodation or not.

• Voters should not wear any clothing, hats, pins, or similar apparel that relates to any candidate, ballot measure, or political party appearing on the current ballot into the polling location.

  • The presiding election judge may ask any voter not following this rule to remove or cover up their apparel.

​

If I’m in line to vote when the polling location closes, can I still vote?

• If you are standing in line to vote before the polling location closes, then you MUST be allowed to vote no matter how long it takes.

  • BUT if you arrive after the polling location closes though, you will not be allowed to vote.

• In Texas, it is legal for people to hand out food or water to voters in line. 

​

Can people carry firearms into a polling location?

• Only licensed peace officers are allowed to bring a firearm into a polling location.

 

Whenever polls are open, TCRP and our partners in the Texas Election Protection Coalition will have volunteers standing by on our 866-OUR-VOTE hotline to answer your questions or address any problems you experience while trying to vote.