TEXAS, USA — The 2022 March Primary is approaching, and it is going to give Texas voters the chance to decide who will advance to the general election later in November.
There will be several key races to watch this election cycle, including the race for Texas Attorney General. Several conservatives have stepped up to challenge the incumbent Ken Paxton.
Our Inside Texas Politics team has been speaking with several of the candidates in our weekly Sunday programs ahead of the primary to learn their platforms.
We've received many questions regarding the voting process in certain counties as well as Texas as a whole.
We've compiled some of the most common questions to help voters be more prepared for the 2022 March Primary.
Who can vote in Texas?
To be eligible to register to vote in Texas, a person must be:
- A United States citizen
- A resident of the Texas county in which application for registration is made
- At least 18 years old on Election Day
- Not finally convicted of a felony or must have fully discharged the sentence or been pardoned/released from the resulting disability to vote
- Not determined by a final judgment of a court exercising probate jurisdiction to be totally mentally incapacitated or partially mentally incapacitated without the right to vote.
How do I know if I'm registered to vote?
Monday, Jan. 31, was the last day to register to vote in the state if you want to have a say in a number of local races.
To do so, voters must be a resident of the county where they submit a registration application. If you've moved recently, even if it's just within your county, you'll need to update your information before Jan. 31, as well.
You must be registered in order to vote in Texas, so it's worth confirming your registration is correct and up-to-date. You can check online to see if you are currently registered to vote.
You'll need your first and last name, your birthdate, the county where you would be registered and your ZIP code.
If you are registered, the Secretary of State's website will show you the address where you're registered, your gender, when your registration is valid from, your effective registration date and your voter status, which should be "ACTIVE."
You can also call the voter registrar’s office in the county where you reside.
Does a voter have to vote in the main election in order to vote in a runoff election?
No, the voter does not. Section 11.001 of the Texas Election Code says the specific qualifications necessary in order to vote in a Texas election.
There is no requirement to have previously voted in the main election in order to participate in the subsequent run-off election.
When does early voting begin?
Early voting begins Feb. 14, and runs through the 25. Election Day is March 1.
What types of photo identification do I need to vote?
Here are the types of photo ID you need in order to vote:
- Texas Driver License issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety
- Texas Election Identification Certificate issued by DPS
- Texas Personal Identification Card issued by DPS
- Texas Handgun License issued by DPS
- U.S. Military Identification Card containing the person’s photograph
- U.S. Citizenship Certificate containing the person’s photograph
- U.S. Passport
If you are between 18-69 years old, photo ID can be expired up to four years.
If you're older than 70, there is no limit.
If a voter is not able to get one of these forms of photo ID, the voter may still cast a regular ballot by presenting a supporting form of ID and executing a Reasonable Impediment Declaration.
This means the voter would need to explain why he or she was unable to get an acceptable form of a photo ID and that the voter faces "a reasonable impediment to procuring an acceptable form of photo identification," according to the Texas Secretary of State.
If a voter has continued access to their acceptable form of photo ID, but forgets to bring that acceptable form of photo ID to the polling place or left it at home or in his or her car, the voter still has the acceptable photo ID and must use it to vote.
Here is a list of supporting forms of ID:
- copy or original of a government document that shows the voter’s name and an 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 certified domestic birth certificate or a document confirming birth admissible in a court of law which establishes the voter’s identity
What does “substantially similar” mean?
In Texas, voters' names as they appear on their IDs and the list of registered voters do not have to be identical or exact matches to vote.
A voter’s name on identification is considered "substantially similar" if one or more of the following circumstances applies:
- The name on the ID is slightly different from one or more of the names on the official list of registered voters.
- The name on the voter’s ID or on the list of registered voters is a "customary variation" of the voter’s formal name. For example, Bill for William, or Beto for Alberto.
- The voter’s name contains an initial, middle name, or former name but it is either not on the official list of registered voters or on the voter’s ID or is different on those documents.
- A first name, middle name, former name or initial of the voter’s name occupies a different field on the presented ID document than it does on the list of registered voters.
In considering whether a name is substantially similar, election officials will look at whether information on the presented ID matches elements of the voter’s information on the official list of registered voters such as the voter’s residence address or date of birth.
Do I need to bring my voter certificate?
While you do not need to bring your voter registration certificate with you to vote, state officials highly recommend to have it with you at the polling place.
In some situations, having your voter registration certificate will allow you to vote a regular ballot instead of a provisional ballot.
You can contact your county voter registrar’s office to obtain a replacement registration certificate.
Does a voter have to register with a political party in order to vote?
No, you do not. In Texas, when a person registers to vote, her or she does not register with any specific party.
Is electioneering allowed within the polling location?
Electioneering is any type of broadcasting or communication that is campaigning for a candidate.
In terms of candidates on the ballot, electioneering is not allowed within 100 feet of an outside door during the time a polling place is open for voting.
Will there be 24-hour voting?
No, there will not. Harris County made this change in 2020, in large part because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it didn't happen anywhere else in Texas.
Senate Bill 1, in part, bans 24-hour locations.
What are the hours for voting on election day?
The hours of voting on election day are 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
As long as you are in line at the time the polls close, you will be allowed to vote.
How do I find my polling place in North Texas?
You can see if the county you live in participates in the Countywide Polling Place Program.
If your county does participate, you can vote at any polling place in the county. If your county does not participate, you can only vote at the polling place assigned to you.
Who is eligible for vote by mail?
According to the Texas Election Code, there are only four ways to qualify.
- The first way is, “absence from the county." That means anyone who will not physically be in the county where they live on election day.
- Second, “disability." That's anyone with sickness or illness where voting in-person likely requires some assistance. Or the act of voting in person itself could jeopardize that person's health. Included in this category are expecting mothers. Fear of COVID-19 does not count.
- Third is "age." Anyone over 65 can vote by mail.
- Fourth is “confinement in jail." A person held in jail can get a ballot if there has been no felony conviction in their pending case.
How can I track my mail-in ballot?
You can visit the Texas Secretary of State website and use the “ballot by mail tracker” -- just click here. Once you fill in your voter information and address, it will provide the information on your ballot.
Also, nonprofit Vote America has an online tool that allows Texas voters to check their ballots, both for mail-in voters and those who chose in-person early voting. Click here.
The Vote America tracker is searchable by voter ID number or first name, last name and county. It uses public data published by the State of Texas.
It is illegal to pre-fill applications for ballot by mail in Texas?
No, it is not illegal to prefill vote-by-mail applications. WFAA's VERIFY team found out there is a key distinction between an ABBM and a voter registration application.
Under Sec. 13.002 (c-1) of the Texas Election Code, it makes clear information on a voter registration application “must be supplied by the person desiring to register to vote.”
However, an application for a ballot by mail does not fall under the same code.
Nothing in the election code specifically says the info. must be provided by the registering voter.
What happens after your mailed-in Texas ballot is received?
A bipartisan ballot board reviews mailed-in signatures and audits day-of in-person voting to ensure counts match.
Ballot boards reject mail-in ballots if they can’t verify both signatures came from the same person.
Once those two signatures are approved, the mail-in ballot is then counted on election day, which is March 1 for this upcoming primary.