How to vote in the 2024 election in Texas
Below is the voter's guide to the Nov. 5, 2024 general election. In it, you will find key dates, how to register to vote or check your status, how to find out where and when you can vote, and what you'll need to bring with you. There is also information on what races will be decided by North Texas voters and other election-related topics such as poll watchers and straight-ticket voting.
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KEY ELECTION DATESThe last day to register to vote in Texas in the Nov. 5 election was Monday, Oct. 7. You can check your voter status at VoteTexas.gov . You cannot vote in this election if you have not registered. However, you can still register to vote in future elections by printing out an application online and then mailing it to your county election office. The next election is May 3, 2025. Also, Texans can now register to vote online, but only when they renew or update their driver's license.
WHERE DO I VOTE?Voters in more than a dozen North Texas counties are approved to use the Countywide Polling Place Program for the Nov. 5 general election, meaning voters can vote at any polling location they like in their home county - the county they are registered in. Those CPPP-approved counties are Collin, Comanche, Dallas, Ellis, Erath, Grayson, Henderson, Hood, Hopkins, Kaufman, Navarro, Palo Pinto, Parker and Tarrant.
Voters in all other North Texas counties, including Denton, must vote at their designated precinct on Election Day. Find your voting location on your county's election webpage. See a statewide list of all approved CPPP counties here .
Wait times at voting sites may be posted on the county election websites in larger counties, allowing voters to head to polling places with shorter lines.
You must present one of the following forms of photo ID when voting in person:
Ballots are voter-specific based on precinct and county. To see your sample ballot, visit your county's election page. A list of North Texas county election websites is below.
Voting precinct locations can be found on county election pages here: Anderson , Bosque , Comanche , Collin , Cooke , Dallas , Delta , Denton , Ellis , Erath , Fannin , Freestone , Hamilton , Henderson , Hill , Hood , Hopkins , Hunt , Jack , Johnson , Kaufman , Lamar , Navarro , Palo Pinto , Parker , Rains , Red River , Rockwall , Somervell , Tarrant , Van Zandt , Wise .
We will provide a link to our main election coverage on the evening before Election Day. That will include links to all races and our live coverage, which will be streaming throughout the night. Check back for the link.
Results will not be available until after the polls close at 7 p.m. on Election Day. Early voting numbers are typically released first, shortly after 7 p.m., and then day-of ballots are counted and updated throughout the night.
Download our app or sign up for email alerts to ensure you see the updates first.
WHAT'S ON THE BALLOT?The big race on the Nov. 5 ballot is for U.S. President. Voters will also decide on a U.S. Senate race and several U.S. House races. Down-ballot races include Texas House and Senate races, local elections, and propositions. You can see those filtered below by federal, state, and county.
Filter races: All races | Federal races | State races | Collin County | Dallas County | Denton County | Tarrant County
DART is providing free transportation to polling locations for the Nov. 5 election. Voters can ride at no charge on all DART buses, trains, GoLink, the Dallas Streetcar, Paratransit Services and the TRE between EBJ Union Station and CentrePort/DFW Airport Station. Customers need to show a valid voter registration card to ride for free on the day of the election. GoLink riders can use promo code at checkout for a complimentary Adult Local Day Pass in the DART GoPass app on Nov. 5 only. You can learn more at dart.org/vote .
TRINITY METRO Trinity Metro will offer free rides for voting on all local services on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5. Customers who are riding to or from the polls are eligible for free rides on Trinity Metro buses, Trinity Metro On-Demand rideshare services (including paratransit) and Trinity Metro TEXRail. Free rides also include Trinity Railway Express stations in Tarrant County, including CentrePort. To get a free ride, customers should notify their driver or train conductor that they are traveling to or from a voting location.
The Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA) will be providing free rides to the polls on Election Day via train, bus and GoZone.
STAR TRANSIT STAR Transit offers free, round-trip rides to local polling places for early and Election Day voting. Free early voting service will be available on weekdays across the entire STAR Transit service area from Monday, Oct. 21, through Friday, Nov. 1. In Balch Springs, Mesquite, and Terrell only, free early voting service is also available on Saturday, Oct. 26. Free service to the polls is available across the entire service area on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5.
No. It doesn't matter who you voted for in the March primary or if you voted in the March primary. Voters can vote for whichever candidate they want in the general election on Nov. 5, even if they didn't vote in the primary.
The open primary elections, which occurred in March, are two separate elections on the same day and are used by political parties to select nominees for the general election. While voters can only vote in one party's primary election, they do not have to vote for the same candidate or party in the succeeding general election. Registered voters are not required to register with a party. If a voter is registered with a political party, they do not have to vote for that party in the general election.
Voters are free to vote however they want in the general election, regardless of whether they voted in the primary, who they voted for in the primary, or what party they may be affiliated with.
Learn more about party affiliation in Texas on the Texas Secretary of State's website .
WHEN IS EARLY VOTING?Early voting was from Monday, Oct. 21, through Friday, Nov. 1. Early voting has ended. If you didn't vote early, your last chance to vote is on Tuesday, Nov. 5, Election Day.
Want to know how many people voted early each day in 2024 compared to 2016 and 2020? We've compiled that information here for Collin , Dallas , Denton and Tarrant counties. Click on the county name to see the numbers.
MAIL-IN/ABSENTEE BALLOTSTexas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) dramatically reduced the number of locations across the state that can accept a handed-in absentee ballot to ensure that poll watchers (scroll down for more on poll watchers) had adequate access to each location. Beginning in October 2020, mail ballots delivered in person by eligible voters can only be delivered to one location in each Texas county — each county's early voting clerk designates that location. You may only hand-deliver your envelope, you may not deliver a ballot for another individual, and you must bring ID.
To qualify for a mail-in ballot in Texas, voters must be away from their county of residence on Election Day and during the early voting period; sick or disabled; confined in jail but otherwise eligible to vote; or 65 years old or older. Absentee voters must also include their Texas driver's license number, Texas DPS-issued ICN or ECN, or the last four digits of their Social Security number, whichever matches their voter record, or a statement that they have not been issued any of those forms of ID.
The last day to apply for an Absentee Ballot is Friday, Oct. 25 (received, not postmarked). Absentee ballots may be submitted in person at any time as long as they are received by 7 p.m. on Election DayAbsentee ballots that are mailed in must be postmarked by 7 p.m. on Election Day.
If you want to verify whether your mail-in or in-person ballot has been received, you can track it on the Texas Secretary of State website . Ballots mailed in may take a few days to appear on the website.
Most states don't offer straight-ticket voting. Texas did for decades, but Republican Gov. Greg Abbott signed a law removing the option in 2020. That measure was pushed through by a GOP-controlled Legislature that argued the change would encourage voters to cast better-informed ballots on Election Day.
Democrats challenged the change in court in March 2020, citing long Super Tuesday lines in Houston, where some voters waited more than an hour to vote. They claimed the law around straight-ticket voting disproportionately hurt Black and Latino voters in big urban counties, where longer ballots mean increased wait times.
A poll watcher is a person appointed to observe the conduct of an election on behalf of a candidate, political party or the proponents or opponents of a particular measure. Their role in an election is established by Chapter 33 of the Texas Election Code and they must adhere to specific rules at polling locations.
The primary duty of a watcher is to observe the conduct of the election at the location where the watcher has been appointed. A watcher may point out to an election judge or clerk any observed irregularity or violation of the Texas Election Code. However, if the clerk refers the watcher to the judge, the watcher may not discuss the matter further with the clerk unless the presiding judge invites the discussion.
The Texas Poll Watchers Guide can be found in this document from the Texas Secretary of State .
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