The primaries for the 2026 elections are coming up, and several deadlines are fast approaching.
Here’s what you need to knowa bout the primaries.
Primary Elections
Primary Election Day this year will be March 3.
Texas law requires all eligible voters to register 30 days before an election, therefore the deadline to register to vote for the primaries is Feb. 2.
Early in-person voting takes place between Feb. 17-27.
Can I vote?
In order to vote in Texas, you must:
- be a U.S. citizen
- be a resident of the county you are applying to vote in
- be at least 18 years old by Election Day
- not have been declared mentally incapacitated by a court
- not be a convicted felon (though you may be eligible if you were pardoned or completed your sentence, probation and parole)
How do I register to vote?
First, you can check your voter registration status on the Texas Secretary of State’s website.
If you are not already registered, you will need to register through your county. Here is the contact information for Collin County, Denton County, Dallas County and Tarrant County.
How do I vote?
For early in-person voting, you can go to any polling location in Dallas or Tarrant County to cast your ballot. However, if you plan on voting on Election Day itself, you’ll have to cast your ballot at your registered polling place. You can check your polling place when you look up your registration.
When you get to your polling place, you will need to bring along an acceptable form of photo identification. Those are:
- Texas Driver License issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)
- Texas Election Identification Certificate issued by DPS
- Texas Personal Identification Card issued by DPS
- Texas Handgun License issued by DPS
- United States Military Identification Card containing the person’s photograph
- United States Citizenship Certificate containing the person’s photograph
- United States Passport (book or card)
And as a reminder, you will not be allowed to use your phone or other devices in the voting booth and within 100 feet of voting stations.
Texas only allows certain groups to use mail-in voting, including people 65 and older and those who are sick or disabled. To check if you’re eligible for mail-in voting and apply for your ballot, you can visit the Texas Secretary of State’s website.
