HOUSTON — We're coming up on another Election Day in the Houston area. It's a special election to fill the vacated Texas Senate seat that John Whitmire left to become mayor of Houston. There are also a variety of races to fill spots on the Harris County Appraisal District's board, school district seats and a few other local races.
Early voting runs from Monday, April 22, through Tuesday April 30. In Harris County, hours are 7 a.m. until 7 p.m, Monday through Saturday. On Sunday, you can cast your ballot early from 12 p.m. until 7 p.m.
The last day to apply for a ballot by mail is Tuesday, April 23. (Received, not postmarked!
We want to make sure you have all the information you need when you head to the polls. Below are key dates, voting locations, sample ballots and so much more.
Where to vote
Sample ballots
On the ballot
Texas Senate District 15
One of the races on the May 4 ballot is the one for the Senate seat that Houston Mayor John Whitmire used to hold. Democrats Jarvis Johnson and Molly Cook will compete for that seat for the remainder of the term. The May 28 election is then the primary to try to move on to November election where the winner will take on Joseph Trahan.
HCAD board
The Harris County Appraisal District is holding elections for its board members. The following are on the ballot and need a majority to win.
Candidates for Place 1
- Kathy Blueford Daniels
- Ramsey Isa Ankar
- Era Ford
- Bill R. Frazer
Candidates for Place 2
- Janice W. Hines
- Melissa Noriega
- Kyle Scott
- Jevon German
- Austin Pooley
Candidates for Place 3
- James Bill
- Amy Lacy
- Melody G. Ellis
- Mark V. Goloby
- Pelumi Adeleke
- Ericka McCrutcheon
Requirements to vote in Texas
The information below is directly from VoteTexas.com.
State law requires you to register 30 days before the election in which you wish to vote. An applicant’s spouse, parent, or child (acting as an agent) may complete and sign a voter registration application as long as they are a registered voter or have applied for voter registration.
- You must be a United States citizen.
- You must be at least 18 years old by Election Day.
- Have not been declared totally mentally incapacitated or partially mentally incapacitated without the right to vote by a final judgment of a court exercising probate jurisdiction
- If convicted of a felony, you must have fully completed the sentence, including any term of incarceration, parole or supervision; or completed a period of probation ordered by any court; or been pardoned or otherwise released from the resulting disability to vote.
How do I find out if I'm registered to vote?
- Anyone can check their registration in less than two minutes through the Texas Secretary of State. All you need is your name, county and date of birth. More voter registration information in Texas.
- Specifically, for Harris County, you can verify your voter registration information on HarrisVotes.org. Simply click on "Voter Registration," then select "Voter Registration Search." By inputting your name or address, you can find your voter registration record.
Voter ID requirements
If you've confirmed you are registered, but don't have or never received your voter registration card, here's what you need to know. Under Texas law, voters can use one of the seven acceptable forms of photo identification at the polls when voting in person.
- Texas driver's license issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)
- Texas election identification certificate issued by DPS
- Texas personal identification card issued by DPS
- Texas handgun license issued by DPS
- United States Military ID card with photo
- United States citizenship certificate with photo
- United States passport (book or card)
Voters who don't have and can't "reasonably obtain" one of the seven approved forms of photo ID may fill out a Reasonable Impediment Declaration (RID) (PDF) at the polls and present an alternative form of ID, such as a utility bill, bank statement, government check or a voter registration certificate.
Who can vote by mail in Texas?
If you plan to vote by mail, you must meet certain criteria to qualify.
- You are 65 years or older on Election Day
- You are sick or disabled
- You will be out of your county during the early voting period and on Election Day
- You are expected to give birth within three weeks before or after Election Day
- You are confined in jail, but otherwise eligible
Download and print application for mail ballot: English - Spanish - Vietnamese - Chinese
If you have other questions about the mail-in ballot process click here.
Tracking your mail ballot
The last day to apply for a ballot by mail (received, not postmarked) is April 23.
Once you’ve sent your ballot by mail to your county’s early voting clerk, you can check the status of your mail-in ballot through the Ballot by Mail Tracker, available on the Texas Secretary of State’s My Voter Portal.
You must enter the following information:
- First Name
- Last Name
- Date of Birth
- The last 4 digits of your Social Security Number
- Your Driver’s License or Department of Public Safety Personal ID number
- Your residential address (must appear exactly as listed on your voter registration record. To look up the address listed on your voter registration record, use the ‘Am I Registered?’ tool)
- City
- ZIP code
How to correct a defect on your application for ballot by mail
If you received a notice (PDF) that your application for a mail ballot (ABBM) was rejected because you did not provide an identification number or the number included on your ABBM did not match one of the numbers associated with your voter registration record, you can correct the error online through the Texas Secretary of State's Ballot by Mail Tracker. When you log in to the Ballot by Mail Tracker, you will be prompted to enter your personal identification number(s). Once your personal identification number is validated, the ABBM you previously submitted will be processed.
To utilize the Ballot by Mail Tracker, you must enter:
- Your Texas Driver’s License Number or Texas Personal Identification Number, AND
- The last four digits of your social security number
AND - Your residence address as listed in your voter registration record
If you received a notice that your ABBM was rejected for another reason, you may be able to correct the error by submitting a new ABBM (PDF) to your county's early voting clerk with the corrected information.
If you have specific questions about your registration or the status of your ABBM, you should contact your county.