Texas voters can cast a ballot in more ways than one before Election Day. 

Registered voters can vote early and in person. The early voting period begins Oct. 24 and ends Nov. 4. Some people are eligible to vote by mail. 

Scroll down to read through the Report’s early and mail-in voting guide, or click through the table of contents for your specific question.

Vote early:

  1. Am I eligible to vote early? 
  2. I’d like to vote early. Where and when can I do that? 
  3. I’m COVID-positive but still want to vote early. What are my options? 
  4. If I’m voting early, what do I need to bring with me? 
  5. Can I get a free ride to a polling place during early voting?

Vote by mail: 

  1. Am I eligible to vote by mail?
  2. I’m eligible. How do I register to vote by mail? 
  3. What’s the deadline to register to vote by mail? 
  4. Where do I mail my ballot?
  5. What’s the deadline to mail in my ballot?
  6. I’ve mailed in my ballot. How do I track it? 

Have other voting questions? 

Contact Tarrant County Elections by phone (817-831-8683), Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (817-759-7801) or email (votebymail@tarrantcounty.com or electionsinfo@tarrantcounty.com).

Am I eligible to vote early? 

If you’re a registered voter, you’re eligible to vote early, in person, in the county in which you’re registered. 

I’d like to vote early. Where and when can I do that? 

You can vote at one of these 50 locations in Tarrant County during the early voting period: Oct. 24–Nov. 4. The hours vary by day:

  • Oct. 24–28: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
  • Oct. 29: 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.
  • Oct. 30: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
  • Oct. 31–Nov. 4: 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.

I’m COVID-positive but still want to vote. What are my options? 

A positive COVID-19 test doesn’t alone qualify you to vote by mail, according to Tarrant County Elections Administrator Heider Garcia. However, voters can request curbside voting at any of the polling locations during the early voting period or on election day. This option is also available for people who struggle to walk or stand for long periods.

Each polling location should have a curbside voting sign located near the handicap parking spaces. Voters can call the number listed on the sign, and poll workers will bring voting materials to the voter.

If I’m voting early, what do I need to bring with me? 

You should bring one of the following seven forms of photo identification: 

  • Texas Driver License issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety
  • Texas Election Identification Certificate issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety
  • Texas Personal Identification Card issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety
  • Texas Handgun License issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety
  • United States Military Identification Card that contains your photograph
  • United States Citizenship Certificate that contains your photograph
  • United States Passport (book or card)

If you’re 18-69 years old, you can still bring these documents if they’re expired — as long as they’re no more than four years past the expiration date. If you’re 70 years or older, though, the document can be expired for any length of time.

If you don’t have one of those seven documents, you’ll need to bring one of the following documents and complete a Reasonable Impediment Declaration form at the polls. These can also be scans or photos on your phone:

  • Copy or original of a government document that shows your name and an address, including the your 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) a certified domestic (from a U.S. state or territory) birth certificate or (b) a document confirming birth admissible in a court of law which establishes your identity (which may include a foreign birth document).

For more frequently asked questions about identification documents, visit this page of VoteTexas.org. You can also call the Texas Secretary of State’s office at 1-800-252-8683 or email elections@sos.texas.gov.

Can I get a free ride to a polling place during early voting?

Yes! Tarrant County voters can snag a free ride to a polling location during early voting or Election Day via Trinity Metro service, Arlington Via and other transportation services. 

For Trinity Metro services other than ACCESS, simply bring your voter registration card or current Texas ID and ride as usual.

If you qualify for ACCESS, Northeast Transportation Service, Tarrant County Transportation Service or Handitran, you’ll need to call at least 48 hours in advance to schedule your ride, according to the Tarrant County Elections website. 

For Via’s on-demand service in Arlington, download the Via app and enter the address of a polling location within Via’s service area. Your promo code is ARNVOTE2022F.

For questions or to schedule a ride:

  • Trinity Metro (bus, rail, ACCESS, and ZIPZONE): 817-215-8600
  • Northeast Transportation Service: 817-336-8714
  • Tarrant County Transportation Service: 817-336-8714
  • Arlington Via: 817-459-6777
  • Arlington Handitran: 817-459-5390

For information in Spanish, click here. For information in Vietnamese, click here.

Am I eligible to vote by mail? 

You can vote by mail if any of the following descriptions applies to you:

  • You’re 65 years or older.
  • You have a disability. On the formal application form, you’ll check a box confirming this statement is true for you: “I affirm that I have a sickness or physical condition that prevents me from appearing at the polling place on Election Day without a likelihood of needing personal assistance or injuring my health.” 
  • You’re expecting to give birth within three weeks before or after Election Day.
  • You’re planning to be out of the county during the early voting period (Oct. 24-Nov. 4) and on Election Day (Nov. 8). 
  • You’re in jail, but not convicted of a felony, or you’re in involuntary commitment. 

You can also vote by mail if you or a family member are part of the Uniformed Services or if you’re a U.S. citizen but live outside the U.S. The application process differs for you — read more about it here

I’m eligible. How do I register to vote by mail? 

You have a few options. 

First, you can complete and submit the official application (here’s the form in English, Spanish and Vietnamese). 

Or, you can submit an “informal” application that includes the following details: 

  • Name.
  • Address at which you are registered to vote.
  • Why you’re eligible to vote by mail (see list in previous question).
  • Your Texas Driver License, Texas Personal Identification Certificate Number or Election Certificate Number issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (Not your voter registration VUID#), or the last 4 digits of your Social Security number, or a statement that you have not been issued a Texas Driver’s License/Personal Identification Number/Texas Election Identification Certificate or Social Security Number matching your voter registration record.
  • The address to which you want the ballot mailed. If the ballot is not to be mailed outside the county and not to the address at which you are registered, you must give an explanation as to the address such as nursing home, hospital, etc.
  • Your signature.

Whether you submit formally or informally, Garcia recommends you include both your Texas Driver’s License number, if you have one, and the last four digits of your Social Security number. When you complete your mail-in ballot, he recommends you include both as well.

You can submit your application by mail, email, fax or in person. However, if you submit by fax or email, you also must submit your application by mail. Tarrant County Elections must receive your mailed-in application within four business days of your fax or email.

By mail:
Tarrant County Elections
PO Box 961011
Fort Worth, Texas 76161-0011

In person:
Tarrant County Elections
2700 Premier St.
Fort Worth, Texas 76111-3011

Email: votebymail@tarrantcounty.com

Fax: 817-850-2344

What’s the deadline to register to vote by mail? 

The last day to deliver your application to Tarrant County Elections in person is 5 p.m. on Oct. 21. However, you can still mail in your application if you miss the Oct. 21 deadline, Garcia said. Tarrant County Elections must receive your mailed-in application by 5 p.m. on Oct. 28.

Where do I mail my ballot? 

You can mail your ballot to one of two addresses, though Tarrant County Elections prefers voters use the PO Box, Garcia said: 

  1. Tarrant County Elections
    PO Box 961011
    Fort Worth, Texas 76161-0011
  2. Tarrant County Elections
    2700 Premier St.
    Fort Worth, Texas 76111-3011

What’s the deadline to mail in my ballot?

At the very latest, your ballot must be postmarked on Election Day. However, Garcia recommends you don’t wait that long to mail in your ballot. If you haven’t made it to the post office by Election Day, he recommends you hand-deliver your ballot to Tarrant County Elections instead. Here’s the address:

Tarrant County Elections
2700 Premier St.
Fort Worth, Texas 76111-3011

I’ve mailed in my ballot. How do I track it? 

The county and state each offer a method. You can submit your name and birthdate to the Tarrant County Voter Lookup site to check your ballot’s status. For explicit instructions, view the video below from Tarrant County: 

YouTube video

Or, you can submit similar information here, to the Texas Secretary of State’s website, to check your ballot’s status. 

Alexis Allison is the health reporter at the Fort Worth Report. Her position is supported by a grant from Texas Health Resources. Contact her at alexis.allison@fortworthreport.org or via Twitter. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.

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Alexis AllisonHealth Reporter

Alexis Allison covers health for the Fort Worth Report. When she can, she'll slip in an illustration or two. Allison is a former high school English teacher and hopes her journalism is likewise educational....