Step 3 of 8
Register to vote
Registering to vote is like making an account. You fill out a short form with your name and address. After that, you are “in the system” and allowed to vote. You do this once, unless you move or change your name.
You do not register and vote on the same day. You register well before an election, often weeks ahead. Then you vote on Election Day (or during early voting).
In Texas, you cannot finish registering online. You fill out a paper form and mail it or hand it in. You can start the form on a computer and print it.
How to do it
- Get the form: print it from the Texas Secretary of State website (may be in English or Spanish only), or pick one up at the library, post office, or county election office.
- Fill in your name, address, and details.
- Print it if you have not already. You must sign it on paper.
- Sign it.
- Mail it to your county, or drop it off, on time (see below).
The deadline
You must be registered at least 30 days before an election. If you mail the form, it counts as long as it is postmarked by that day. If you are mailing in the final days, hand it to a clerk at the post office and ask them to postmark it that day — a form dropped in a mailbox is sometimes postmarked a day or two later, which could make you late. If you wait too long, you cannot vote in that election, but you can still vote in the next one. Do not wait.
Already registered?
Not sure if you signed up before? You can check with the “Am I Registered?” tool on the Texas Secretary of State website.
Moved or changed your name? Register again with the new information.
⚠ Watch out — common mistakes
- Registering is not voting. It only lets you vote later. You still have to go and cast a ballot.
- It is not instant. It can take a couple of weeks, and you will get a voter registration card in the mail. Register early.
- You cannot finish online in Texas. Even if you fill the form on a computer, you must print, sign, and mail or hand it in.
- Deadline: 30 days before Election Day. A mailed form counts if it is postmarked by that day. Do not wait for the last week.
- Moved to a new county? You must re-register there — an old registration will not work at your new address.
- Make sure it worked: use the “Am I Registered?” tool before Election Day.