Early Voting starts for 2026 Texas Primaries: How to cast your ballot before March 3

FILE - A voting booth is seen at the Office of Voter Registration and Elections in Virginia Beach, Virginia, during early voting on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023. (Kendall Warner/The Virginian-Pilot/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

Early voting for the Texas primary elections begins today.

Texas primary elections are set for March and Democrats and Republicans will have a chance to decide which candidates they want on the November general election ballot.

More than a dozen statewide offices will be decided in November, along with members of Congress, state lawmakers, judges and county officials. Some voters may find their voting district changed following the adoption of newly drawn congressional districts.

What we know:

In most counties, you can vote early at any voting center in the county you're registered in. To find early voting locations in your county, go to the county election office's website.

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The new report shows who's leading in the primaries for AG, comptroller, ag commissioner and more.

Find an early voting location in your county

Austin area early voting

Travis County

Williamson County

Early Voting Locations

Hays County

Vote Center Location List & Schedule

DFW area early voting

Houston, Southeast Texas early voting locations

Key dates for the 2026 primary elections

Feb. 17: Early voting begins
Feb. 20: Deadline to request a ballot by mail
Feb. 27: Early voting ends
March 3: Election Day

What is a primary?

The primary election will be held on March 3. Primaries are elections that political parties use to determine which candidates will represent that party. The winning candidate will then face off against the winning candidate from the other party in the November general election.

A candidate must have more than half of the votes to be declared the winner. If no candidates get a majority of the votes in a race, then the top two vote-getters will face each other in a run-off election on May 26.

Voters are not required to register with a party to vote in a primary election, but can only vote in one party's primary election. Voters will only be able to vote in that party's subsequent run-off election.

What's on the ballot?

Voters will choose several federal, state and local offices this election.

Federal

U.S. Senate (One seat, currently held by Sen. John Cornyn)
All 38 U.S. Representatives using the newly redrawn Congressional map

Statewide races

Texas Governor
Lieutenant Governor
Attorney General
Comptroller of Public Accounts
Commissioner of General Land Office
Commissioner of Agriculture
One Railroad Commissioner seat
Four Texas Supreme Court seats
Three members of the Court of Criminal Appeals
Three members of the 15th Court of Appeals

Regional state races

Eight members of the State Board of Education
Sixteen state senators
All 150 state representatives
Seven Court of Appeals Chief Justices

Races might also be held for lower-level judges and county offices depending on where you live.

Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Am I registered to vote?

The easiest way to check your voter registration status is to head to the Secretary of State's website.

The Am I Registered portal on the website lets you submit your identifying information, like a Texas Driver's License number or details about your birth.

You will find out instantly if you're registered to vote. The portal will also give you your poll location and early voting locations.

How to vote by mail in Texas

Once you are registered, voting by mail is an option, but only for specific situations.

Here are the conditions to be eligible to vote by mail in the State of Texas:

Be 65 years or older;
Be sick or disabled;
Be out of the county on election day and during the period for early voting by personal appearance; or
Be expected to give birth within three weeks before or after Election Day; or
Be confined in jail, but otherwise eligible.

If you would like to vote by mail, you must apply to do so.

You can print the Application for Ballot by Mail here, or you can order one online here, and it will be mailed to you.

Applications for a mail ballot must be returned by Feb. 20. All applications to vote by mail must be received by the early voting clerk before the close of regular business or noon, whichever is later.

What is the deadline for voting by mail?

The deadline for mail-in ballots to be returned to the county is Election Day, March 3. If a ballot is postmarked by 7 p.m. locally on election day, it’ll be counted if the county receives it by 5 p.m. on March 4. The U.S. Postal Service recommends mailing your ballot at least one week before the deadline, if not sooner.

Absentee ballots can also be delivered in person to the county elections office with a valid form of ID while polls are open on Election Day.

Completed ballots from military or overseas voters are accepted if they’re received by March 9.

Texas early voting dates and poll locations

Any registered voter may vote early in person. Early voting for the March primary election begins on Feb. 17 and ends on Feb. 27.

In most counties, you may vote at any early voting location in your county of registration.

To double-check in your specific county, visit the Am I Registered portal on the Secretary of State’s website during the early voting period. It will list the locations where you can vote early.

Where do I vote? How to find your precinct

Your assigned polling place is based on where you live. Visit your county's election page for the polling locations and sample ballots.

You will also be able to find election day voting locations by visiting the state's webpage, which will be populated with voting sites a few days before election day. Or, you may want to contact the Election Official for State and County Elections in your county.

When are polls open on election day?

The polls in Texas are open from 7 a.m. on the date of the election until 7 p.m. Anyone in line at the time the polls close will be allowed to cast their ballot.

Do I need an ID to vote in Texas?

In order to vote in person during early voting or on election day, Texas voters will be asked to present an acceptable form of photo ID. Here is a list of the acceptable forms of photo ID:

Texas Driver 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 Identification Card containing the person’s photograph
United States Citizenship Certificate containing the person’s photograph
United States Passport (book or card)

Here is a list of the supporting forms of ID that can be presented if the voter does not possess an acceptable form of photo identification and cannot reasonably obtain one:

Copy or original of a government document that shows the voter’s name and address, including the voter’s voter registration certificate
Copy of or original current utility bill
Copy of or original bank statement
Copy of or original government check
Copy of or original paycheck
Copy of or original of (a) a certified domestic (from a U.S. state or territory) birth certificate or (b) a document confirming birth admissible in a court of law which establishes the voter’s identity (which may include a foreign birth document)

For more information on acceptable forms of ID and what you can do if you do not have one, click here.

Can you vote with an expired ID?

If you have a form of acceptable photo ID and are between the ages of 18 and 69, your ID must be current or expired for no more than 4 years to qualify to vote.

For voters 70 and older, your photo ID can be expired for any length of time if the identification is otherwise okay.

How to report voting issues

If you have problems or questions, you can call the Secretary of State’s toll-free election hotline at 1-800-252-VOTE (8683) or email elections@sos.texas.gov.

To file a formal complaint, download the complaint form here. It can be submitted by mail, fax, or email.

The Source: Information in this article is from state voter websites and previous FOX Local coverage.

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