How to vote by mail in Texas for the 2026 midterm elections and who is eligible

Ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, the next major deadline for Texas voters is applying to vote by mail for those who are eligible. 

Here is what Texas voters need to know about voting by mail:

Who is eligible to vote by mail in Texas?

Texas has narrow restrictions on who is eligible to vote by mail. In order to qualify, Texans must fall into one of the following categories:

• 65 years old or older
• Sick or disabled
• Expected to give birth within three weeks of election day
• Out of the country on election day and the early voting period
• In jail
• Civilly committed under Chapter 841 of the Texas Health and Safety Code (sexually violent predators)

What is the deadline to apply to vote by mail in Texas?

Applications are submitted to each county's Early Voting Clerk. The Early Voting Clerk must receive the application by close of business on Friday, Oct. 23.

How to apply to vote by mail in Texas

Applications to vote by mail can be downloaded directly from VoteTexas.gov. Voters can also request an application to be mailed to them from the Texas Secretary of State or the Early Voting Clerk in their county.

Applications must include either a Texas Driver's License number, Texas Personal Identification Number or Election Identification Certificate Number issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (not the voter registration VUID number). If a voter has not been issued any of those numbers, they can list the last 4 digits of their Social Security Number.

Applications to vote by mail must be mailed to to the Early Voting Clerk or delivered in person. They can also be sent by fax or email by the Oct. 23 deadline, but original copies must still be mailed and received by the Early Voting Clerk by the fourth business day after it was submitted.

How to check if your mail ballot application was received

Voters can check the Ballot by Mail Tracker on the Texas Secretary of State's My Voter Portal.

Voters whose applications have a defect will receive a notice from their county's Early Voting Clerk. If the defect is not providing an identification number, or the number included does not match the voter registration record, the defect can be cured on the Ballot by Mail Tracker.

Other defects can only be cured by submitting a new application.

How to see if a mail ballot was received and accepted

Voters can check the Ballot by Mail Tracker on the Texas Secretary of State's My Voter Portal.

When is the deadline for mail ballots in Texas?  

The deadline for completed ballots depends on how and from where it is mailed:

• Carrier envelopes without a postmark must be received by 7 p.m. on Election Day
• Carrier envelopes with a postmark must be received by 5 p.m. on the day after Election Day, as long as the postmark shows it was mailed by 7 p.m. on Election Day
• Carrier envelopes mailed from overseas must be received by the fifth day after Election Day with a postmark showing it was mailed by 7 p.m. on Election Day.

The Texas Secretary of State's office recommends that voters return their mail ballot as soon as possible. Voters can also ensure that a postmark is applied to their carrier ballot by requesting a manual postmark at their post office.

How to fix problems with a Texas mail ballot

If there is an issue with the carrier envelope, the Early Voting Clerk or Early Voting Ballot Board will send a notice to the affected voter.

If the defect is a missing or mismatched identification number, it can be cured on the Ballot by Mail Tracker.

If the defect was something else, the voter can complete the Corrective Action Form included in the notice. The form must be mailed back to the Early Voting Clerk or completed in person by the sixth day after Election Day.

Can you cancel a mail ballot and vote in person in Texas? 

Yes. Voters can also cancel their ballot by mail and vote in person.