Primary Voting Frequently Asked Questions
To have your biggest impact, don't forget to attend your precinct convention on Tuesday evening. Your Precinct Convention is held the same place where you vote on Primary Election Day, and begins at 7:15PM, or when the last person votes if there are still people in line then. For answers to frequently asked questions about the Precinct Convention, please click here.
Click here for an unofficial list of polling places, or contact your county's elections office.
The polls open at 7:00 a.m.
The polls close at 7:00 p.m., although anyone in line at 7 p.m. will be allowed to vote.
I don’t have my voter registration, can I still vote today?
If you are a registered voter and you have lost or misplaced your voter certificate and do not have it when you go to vote, you may vote a regular ballot as usual (not a provisional ballot) by providing some form of identification (see list below) and signing an affidavit at the polls. Presenting one of these documents will allow you to vote if your voter registration is current and your name appears on the voter rolls in your county of residence:
- a driver's license or personal identification card issued to you by the Department of Public Safety or a similar document issued to you by an agency of another state, regardless of whether the license or card has expired;
- a form of identification containing your photograph that establishes your identity;
- a birth certificate or other document confirming birth that is admissible in a court of law and establishes your identity;
- United States citizenship papers issued to you;
- a United States passport issued to you;
- official mail addressed to you, by name, from a governmental entity;
- a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows your name and address; or
- any other form of identification prescribed by the secretary of state.
I’m not registered as a Democrat/Republican. Can I still vote?
Yes. Texas does not require you to register with a party to vote. When you enter the polling location, you will be able to choose the primary ballot (Democratic or Republican) you want to vote.
I have voted Republican before, can I vote in the Democratic primary this year?
Yes. Texas has an open primary system, which means you can choose the primary you want to vote in every two years.
Can I vote in the Democratic and Republican primaries?
No, you may only vote in one of the primaries.
I went to vote and they told me I’m not listed as a registered voter on the list at my polling place. What can I do?
Contact your County Elections office (or ask the Election Judge to help) to see if you are registered and/or, if you should be voting at a different precinct. If you believe you are legally registered and you live in the precinct voting at the polling place, you may fill out an affidavit and cast a “provisional ballot,” but that ballot will not count unless it is determined that you were actually eligible and the voter list was inaccurate.
How Many Delegates Does Texas Have?
Texas will send 228 delegates to the national convention. Of those, 193 are "pledged" delegates chosen through our hybrid primary/caucus system. Of those, 126 are chosen by the primary vote and 67 are chosen by the convention/caucus system. The other 35 are "superdelegates."
Can You Explain the Primary/Caucus System?
Across the country, some states pick delegates using a primary, and others use a caucus system. Texas uses a combination of both systems. In Texas, the primary vote allocates 126 delegates, and the caucus allocates 67 votes. Anyone who voted in the primary can attend a caucus at your precinct polling location, starting at 7:15, or as soon as the last voter in line has voted. Those who caucus at the precinct convention choose delegates to a March 29 county/district convention, where delegates are chosen to the June 6 State Convention in Austin, where the 67 national delegates will be allocated to the Presidential candidates based on the preferences of the State Convention delegates.
Can I vote? Am I eligible to vote?
According to the Texas Election Laws, to be eligible to register to vote in Texas, you must be:
- A United States citizen
- A resident of the county
- 18 years of age on Election Day (you may register to vote at 17 years, 10 months)
- Not be a convicted felon (unless your sentence is completed, including any probation or parole)
- Not be declared mentally incompetent by a final judgment of a court.
My name has changed. Can I still vote?
You may continue to vote. You should vote by affidavit at this time if you used your certificate as your notice of name change. Promptly notify the voter registrar in writing of the name change following the same steps for change of address. Your spouse, parent or child (acting as an agent) may complete and sign a change of name for you, provided that this person is a registered voter or has applied for registration. You will receive a new, corrected certificate 30 days after your notice is received.
What does the term "suspense" mean on a voter's record?
Pursuant to Sec. 13.146(b) of the Election Code, the term "suspense" is used to designate those voters for whom the Voter Registrar does not have a current address. A voter with this designation will be removed from the suspense list once that person has advised the Registrar of Voters of his or her new address.
Do I have to register before every election?
No. Once you register to vote, you shouldn’t have to register again as long as you haven’t moved out of the county where you were first registered. As long as you haven’t moved, you should have received a new voter certificate in the mail.
Can I find out if I am still registered if I haven’t voted in a long time?
Contact your County Voter Registration Office for information specific to your situation. As well, many counties have an online presence you can check for up-to-date voter registration information.
Can I bring my children with me when I vote?
Yes, you may have your children with you to the voting area as long as they are under 18. Once they are 18 they must remain outside the voting area, unless they are voting.
Can I bring my sample ballot to the polls?
Yes, you can bring any material with you, but please remember to take it with you when you leave the voting station.
How do I know my vote counted on the electronic machine?
Testing is done prior to each election to ensure the votes are being counted correctly. Votes cast electronically are recorded on the electronic device and the judge’s booth controller. Local Election officials can also print out a cast vote record from both of these machines after the election. It does not connect a vote record with a person. If your county uses Optical scan ballots, those are counted when you slide them through the machine.
Do we get a receipt from the electronic machines?
No, you do not. You will have an access code and if you want, you may keep that code. The machines will not print a receipt of your vote. That is not legal since it could open the door to voter fraud (bribery, vote buying, etc)
A provisional ballot is used when a person presents themselves for voting but due to circumstances, cannot be quickly verified as a qualified voter. It allows the person to vote and gives the Voter Registration office time after the election to verify if the person is eligible to vote. If they are not eligible to vote, this process will register them as a voter and they will be ready for the next election.
However, please be careful to verify that you are in the correct polling location before casting a provisional ballot.
If you vote a provisional ballot at the wrong location, your vote will not be counted. The election judge or county elections office should be able to help you determine the right polling location based on your address.
What happens if I am in line and the polls close at 7:00? Can I still vote?
Yes. As long as you are in line by 7:00 p.m., you are allowed to vote.
What if the polling location runs out of ballots?
If the polling location runs out of ballots, the election judge is required to locate or create more. This can be done by having ballots delivered from the elections office or another polling location or by making copies of the sample ballots available at the polling location.
I went to my polling location but it was not there. Where do I vote?
Please contact the TDP Legal Team at 1-888-DEM-3254.
My polling location is closed. Where can I vote?
Please contact the TDP Legal Team at 1-888-DEM-3254.
What is the process for choosing delegates on election day?
Voters vote early or go to the polls and cast their ballots as they would any normal election. This is the "primary" portion -- and this method will select 126 of the state's delegates.
Fifteen minutes after the polls close (at 7:15 or as soon as all voters have voted), those who voted in the primary may also attend their precinct convention -- much like you've read is done in Iowa. This is the "caucus" portion -- and this method will select 67 of the state's delegates.
I hear that there are long lines to vote. Can you tell me how long people are waiting to vote?
We are not able to give you an exact waiting time for your polling location. However, as long as you are in line by 7:00 p.m., you will be allowed to vote.
I filled out an application to vote by mail but I never received my mail ballot. Can I vote on Election Day?
A person who applied for a mail ballot and should have been sent a ballot by mail will be marked as an absentee voter on the Election Day poll list. However, if the voter did not receive the ballot and/or did not cast a ballot by mail, the voter may cast a provisional ballot on Election Day by signing an affidavit at the polling place that says the voter is registered to vote in the precinct and did not vote early by mail.
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