• Who can vote?
• How to register
• What is my registration certificate?
• What do I do if I move?
• Where do I vote?
• How do I vote early?
• Where can I get more information?

To vote in Texas, you must meet the following requirements:

• be a U.S. citizen;
• be a resident of the county;
• be 18 years old (you may register at 17 years and 10 months);
• not a convicted felon (unless a person's sentence is completed, including any probation or parole)
• not declared mentally incapacitated by a court of law

Registering to vote is easy in Texas. It doesn't even require a stamp! Official applications to register to vote are postage-paid by the State of Texas.

In most Texas counties, the Tax Assessor-Collector is also the Voter Registrar. In some counties, the County Clerk or Elections Administrator registers voters. You may obtain an application from the county Voter Registrar's office, libraries, or post offices. You also have the option of registering to vote when you apply for or renew your driver's license.

The application must be received in the Voter Registrar's office or postmarked 30 days before an election in order for you to be eligible to vote in that election. You will receive a voter registration certificate in the mail after the Voter Registrar has processed your voter registration application. All voters who register to vote in Texas must provide a Texas driver's license number or personal identification number issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Once you apply, a voter registration certificate (proof of registration) will be mailed to you within 30 days.

• Check your certificate to be sure all information is correct. (If there is a mistake, make corrections and return it to the voter registrar immediately.)
• When you go to the polls to vote, present your certificate as proof of registration.
• You may vote without your certificate by signing an affidavit at the polling place and showing some other form of identification (for example, driver's license, birth certificate, copy of electric bill).
• If you lose your certificate, notify your county Voter Registrar in writing to receive a new one.
• You will automatically receive a new certificate every two years, if you haven't moved from the address at which you are registered.

If you move within the county:

Go to the Secretary of State's web site and change your address online or notify your County Voter Registrar, in writing, of your new address by:

• correcting your current voter registration certificate on the back and returning it to the Voter Registrar;
• filling out a new voter registration application form and checking the "change" box; or
• making simultaneous changes to your driver's license and voter registration when you apply for or update your driver's license

You will receive a new certificate with your new address. You will be able to vote in your new precinct 30 days after your change of address is submitted. If you miss the deadline (30 days before an election), you may vote in your former precinct as long as you still reside in the political subdivision conducting the election.

Your residence is located in a specific "precinct," which is an area within the county. There are many precincts within a county. The place where you will vote on Election Day is located in your precinct. There may be combined precincts in order to accommodate joint local elections; therefore, in some elections you may vote outside your designated precinct. The Dallas County Elections Department has polling locations posted on their website.

If you move to another county:

You must reregister.

Fill out a new application and mail it, or take it in person, to the Voter Registrar of your new county. You may not register online if you move from one county to another. You will be registered 30 days after your application is submitted. You will receive a new certificate.

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. You may vote this "limited" ballot after moving and only during early voting by personal appearance or by mail, if:

• you were registered to vote in your former county at the time you moved;
• and your registration in your new county is not yet effective.

Polling places are usually listed in your local newspapers in the weeks before the election. If you choose to vote on Election Day, find your voting precinct by visiting the Dallas County Elections Department.

"Early voting" is a way to cast your ballot before Election Day either in person or by mail.

• In person - Early Voting dates, locations and hours are printed in the newspaper or can be found by visiting the Elections Department.
• By mail - If you will be: (1) out of the county during early voting and on Election Day; (2) age 65 or older; (3) sick or disabled; or (4) confined to jail, call the Elections Administrator in charge of the particular election and ask him to send you an application for a ballot by mail. Or, you may request one from the Secretary of State's Office at 1.800.252.VOTE, or email them at elections@sos.state.tx.us

Dallas County Elections

2378 Stemmons Frwy. Suite 820
Dallas, Texas 75207
(214) 819-6300
www.dalcoelections.org

Collin County Elections

2010 Redbud, Ste. 102
McKinney, TX 75069
1.800.687.8546
www.collincountytx.org
election@collincountytx.org

Secretary of State

Elections Division
P.O. Box 12060
Austin, Texas 78711-2060
1.800.252.VOTE
www.sos.state.tx.us