Texas Secretary of State John Scott today released a message to Texans eligible to vote by mail, providing step-by-step instructions on new identification requirements for mail-in ballot materials. Secretary Scott reminded Texas mail voters that the new Application for Ballot by Mail (ABBM) and Carrier Envelope for mail-in ballots both require identification information in order to be processed and accepted by a county Early Voting Clerk. The Secretary’s message to Texas mail voters includes instructions for voters on how to track their ballot online and correct missing or mismatched ID information on either their ABBM or Carrier Envelope. The deadline for an ABBM to be received by county Early Voting Clerks is Friday, February 18, 2022.

Voting by Mail in Texas

You are eligible to vote by mail in Texas if you are:

  • 65 years of age or older on Election Day;
  • Sick or disabled;
  • Expecting to give birth within three weeks before or after Election Day;
  • Absent from the county of registration during the Early Voting period and on Election Day;
  • Civilly committed under Chapter 841 of the Texas Health and Safety Code; or
  • Confined in jail, but otherwise eligible.

You can get an Application for Ballot by Mail (ABBM) by downloading an application for a ballot by mail here (PDF) or by requesting an application from the Early Voting Clerk in your county.

THE DEADLINE FOR YOUR ABBM TO BE RECEIVED BY YOUR COUNTY’S EARLY VOTING CLERK IS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18TH.

To vote by mail, you must provide ONE of the following numbers on your ABBM (PDF) and Carrier Envelope (PDF) for your voted ballot:

  • Texas Driver’s License, Texas Personal Identification Number or Election Identification Certificate Number issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (NOT your voter registration VUID number); OR
  • If you have not been issued one of the numbers above, the last 4 digits of your Social Security Number

If you have not been issued a Texas Driver’s License, Texas Personal Identification Number or Texas Election Identification Certificate Number or a Social Security Number, you must indicate so by checking the appropriate box on the ABBM and the carrier envelope.

The identification number you provide DOES NOT HAVE TO BE THE SAME NUMBER THAT YOU ORIGINALLY REGISTERED TO VOTE WITH. The number must be associated with your voter registration record and, so long as the number you provide matches one of the numbers on your voter registration record, you will be provided with a ballot by mail if you are otherwise eligible to vote by mail. You may put both numbers in the spaces provided on your ABBM and Carrier Envelope.

Make sure you also provide this information in the provided space on the Carrier Envelope (PDF) in which you return your voted ballot.

 

Ballot by Mail Tracker and Correcting ID Information

Once you’ve sent your Application for a Ballot by Mail (PDF) 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.’

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 (PDF) that your 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 may correct the defect 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 by the Mail Ballot Tracker, the Application for a Ballot by Mail you previously submitted will be processed.

You may also correct missing or mismatched ID information on your Carrier Envelope through the Ballot by Mail Tracker.

If you received a notice that your ABBM was rejected for another reason, such as not indicating a party designation for your Primary Election ballot or submitting an outdated ABBM, you may be able to cure the defect by submitting a new ABBM (PDF) to your county’s Early Voting Clerk with the correct information.

To confirm your information as listed on your voter registration record be sure to visit the ‘Am I Registered?’ tool on the Texas Secretary of State’s My Voter Portal.

If you have specific questions about your registration or the status of your Application for Ballot by Mail, you should contact your county elections office.

For more information, visit www.votetexas.gov/voting-by-mail