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There are two ways to vote early in Texas.1. Early Voting in person- Early voting in person may be easier than you think. You don't have to stand in long lines on Election Day. Registered voters may vote early at a location convenient to them within their political subdivision. Early voting in person starts 17 days before each election and ends 4 days before each election. If you can drive or if you have a friend or relative who can drive you, you don't even have to get out of the car. Call ahead to notify the early voting clerk that you want to vote from your car. This procedure is called "curbside voting" and is available to any voter who has difficulty walking or standing for long periods. The election official will bring your ballot to your car outside the polling place. Curbside voting is available during early voting and on Election Day. Texas law requires all early and Election Day polling locations to be physically accessible to voters with disabilities. Call your election official for information on your particular voting sites. 2. Early Voting by mail- You may vote early by mail if you are:
Applications for a ballot by mail must be submitted to the early voting clerk on or after the 60th day before Election Day and before the close of business on the 7th day before Election Day. If you are voting early by mail you must send your application by:
Exception:
You may obtain a formal application from the Secretary of State's office or the early voting clerk in your county. You do not have to use a formal application; however, an informal application must be in writing and include:
All applications, whether formal or informal, must include the name, office or official title of the early voting clerk, or they will not be accepted. The early voting clerk must receive your marked ballot by 7 p.m. on Election Day! Exception:
Early voting timeline:
Visit our website at www.sos.state.tx.us for:
Voting by mail has been available to elderly voters and voters with physical disabilities in Texas for decades. In recent years, some candidates have built well-organized campaigns aimed at this segment of our voting population. Many of the legal safeguards designed to protect voters and their ballots are impossible to enforce in the privacy of a voter's home. Scams designed to manipulate the voting process by gaining access to mail-in ballots could become a problem in Texas if voters are not well-informed. Applications to vote by mail become a public record 72 hours after the ballot has been mailed to you. In recent years, certain campaigns have used this information to identify and influence voters casting a ballot from home. When you vote by mail, you can take steps to protect your ballot and your vote. The most effective ways to protect your ballot are: 1. If you do vote by mail, get your application from the early voting clerk, or from the Secretary of State's office. You can call the office holding your election and have an application for ballot by mail sent directly to you, or you can call our office and we will send you an application. If you need help filling out the form or mailing it, ask someone you trust. If someone helps you fill out the application, you must write the assistant's name immediately above your signature on the application. All applications must be addressed to the early voting clerk. Applications mailed to an address other than the early voting clerk will be rejected. 2. Send your application as early as possible. You may send your application for a ballot by mail up to two months before an election. This will give you plenty of time to receive your ballot, mark it and mail it back to the early voting clerk. If you don't get your ballot or some other problem occurs, this will also give you more time to cancel, if possible, and obtain another ballot. Your Mailing Address: The general rule is that a ballot must be mailed to the address where you are registered to vote. However, if you are 65 or older or have a physical disability, you may have your ballot sent to a hospital, nursing home or long-term care facility, retirement center, or relative, but you must check the blank on the form indicating which address you are providing. 3. If you need help reading, marking or mailing your ballot, ask a trusted relative or friend to help you. For example: A stranger might "show up" on your doorstep offering to help you with your ballot soon after you've received it in the mail. We recommend you decline this kind of help for several reasons. Some campaigns keep records of voters who vote by mail, and, under public information laws, they can find out that you requested a ballot 72 hours after the ballot is mailed to you. If you allow your ballot to be mailed by someone you don't know, it might not be mailed at all. Your ballot will be rejected if a common or contract carrier attempts to deliver it to the elections office from the address of a candidate or a campaign's headquarters. The safety of your vote is best assured by asking someone you know and trust to help you read, mark or mail your ballot. Remember, you must put your helper's name and address on the carrier envelope, which is the one used to return your ballot to the early voting clerk. 4. Know your rights as a voter. It is our hope that the examples in this publication cover most of the fraudulent tactics you may encounter, but if a situation arises and you don't know what to do, please call our office. Our legal staff is available toll-free at 1.800.252.VOTE (8683) to advise you on your rights as a voter. For more information, Contact:The Secretary of State’s office, your County Clerk, County Elections Administrator or the Voter Registrar in your district. SECRETARY OF STATE Published by the Elections Division of the Secretary of
State’s office
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