LGBTQIA+ Voting Rights

Make sure you are eligible and registered. For the basics on who can register, how to apply, and deadlines, read Voter Registration Basics.

You must be a U.S. citizen, live in the county where you register, and be 18 by Election Day.

Some court orders about capacity, such as guardianship, can affect voting. Only a judge can decide a person does not have the capacity to vote, although some people under guardianship can still keep the right to vote. Para obtener más información sobre los derechos de las personas con discapacidad y el voto, diríjase a la sección Derechos de las personas con discapacidad en Texas.

Las personas que tienen varias direcciones, como los estudiantes universitarios, pueden elegir dónde prefieren empadronarse para votar. You may be able to register with your school address or a permanent address, like your parents’ house.

Si se registra en otro estado, deberá verificar las reglas de registro de ese estado.

Si se empadrona para votar en Texas, pero no vivirá en esa dirección durante las elecciones, puede votar anticipadamente por correo postal.

Texas has a 30-day deadline before Election Day.

Texas Election Code 13.143..

You can check your registration on the Texas Secretary of State's My Voter Portal.

No es un padrón oficial, pero debería estar actualizado. Puede verificar el registro oficial con el Registro electoral de su condado.

Apply with your county voter registrar, by mail, or through a Volunteer Deputy Registrar (VDR). Texas does not have online registration, but you can fill out a form online and mail it in.

Gender on the voter registration form is optional. If you choose to mark it, using the gender that matches your ID can help prevent confusion at the polling place.

If you moved within the same county, update your address; if you moved to a new county, you must register there. In some cases, you may vote a “limited ballot” during early voting. Get the steps in Voter Registration Basics. For help finding your polling place, read Voting in Texas: Tools and Tips.

You can update your voter registration after a legal name change. You can only update a gender marker on your birth certificate because of a "proven incompletion or inaccuracy." See how to update your record at the Secretary of State's Voter Name and Address Changes page.

You may be able to vote, depending on your situation. In Texas, people convicted of a felony regain their right to vote once they've fully completed their sentence-including any prison time, parole, supervision, or probation (sometimes called being "off paper").

If you’ve finished your sentence or received a pardon, you can register and vote in Texas.

See Texas Election Code 11.002(4) and the website of the Office of the Texas Secretary of State.

Texas holds elections on set dates each year, which are available on the Texas Secretary of State’s Important Election Dates page.

Poll hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day (see Texas Elections Code 41.031), but hours during early voting may vary by county. Check with your county election officials, or search the League of Women Voters website (www.Vote411.org) to find your polling site.

Some counties let you vote at any location on Election Day; others require your assigned precinct. Your county election registrar might list the polling places. And these tools can help you figure out where to vote:

• Texas Poll Locator
• Vote411 (type in your address and click on the "submit" button to find out what will be on your ballot and where to vote).

Texas has strict photo ID rules, but there may be options if you don’t have one. For acceptable photo IDs, what to do if yours is expired, and what to do if you don’t have an ID, read Voter ID in Texas.

Maybe. The rules depend on your age and how long the ID has been expired. Texas Election Code 63.0101(a)(1); 63.0101(c).

No, no es necesario que su credencial del padrón electoral y su identificación coincidan para poder votar. Los trabajadores electorales deben comparar toda la información que tienen disponible para decidir si usted es el votante empadronado según su identificación, incluida la dirección, la fecha de nacimiento y la foto.

Siempre y cuando los nombres sean sustancialmente similares, debería poder votar con una boleta común. Sin embargo, es posible que deba firmar una declaración jurada que indique que el "nombre es sustancialmente similar". Puede ver ejemplos de qué se considera un nombre similar en el sitio web de la Secretaría de Estado.

You can go get it, or you may be offered a provisional ballot. See how provisional ballots work in Voting in Texas: Tools and Tips, and review ID options in Voter ID in Texas.

You may be able to use a “Reasonable Impediment Declaration” with a supporting document (like a utility bill or bank statement). See the steps and acceptable supporting IDs in Voter ID in Texas.

Some voters can vote by mail (for example, age 65+, certain disabilities, or being out of the county). See who qualifies, how to apply, and how to track your ballot in Voting in Texas: Tools and Tips.

Polling places must be accessible. You can request curbside voting if you cannot enter the polling place. You may bring an interpreter (with some limits). Read Voters With Disabilities. For disability voting rights, see Disability Rights Texas.

Your name, birth date, and address are usually public voter information. Some survivors of family violence, sexual assault, stalking, or trafficking—and certain government employees—can request address confidentiality. Ask your county voter registrar about confidentiality options and the Attorney General’s Address Confidentiality Program.

If you are told you cannot vote, or you feel intimidated, ask for help and call an election protection hotline. See the hotline list and steps in Voting in Texas: Tools and Tips. You can often cast a provisional ballot and then fix issues within the deadline.

You have rights that protect your ability to vote:

• Conozca sus derechos de voto
• Derecho al voto para votantes con necesidades especiales

Solo tiene derecho a tiempo libre pagado para votar en circunstancias muy limitadas, de acuerdo con la guía de la Comisión de la Fuerza Laboral de Texas. Puede tener al menos dos horas libres pagadas para votar el día de las elecciones a menos que ya haya votado durante la votación anticipada o tenga al menos dos horas consecutivas para votar fuera de su horario normal de trabajo.

Consulte el Código Electoral de Texas 276.004.

Si cree que alguien está interfiriendo con su derecho al voto, puede comunicarse con una línea directa de protección electoral:

• Inglés: 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683)
• Español: 888-VE-Y-VOTA (888-839-8682)
• Idiomas asiáticos (mandarín, cantonés, coreano, vietnamita, bengalí, urdu, hindi y tagalo): 888-API-VOTE (888-274-8683)
• Árabe: 844-YALLA-US (866-925-5287)
• Videollamada con ASL: 301-818-VOTE (301-818-8683)

Derechos por discapacidad en Texas: 888-796-VOTE (888-796-8683).