Voting, Step By Step
Elec. Code 13.143 — a registration takes effect on the 30th day after the application is submitted
The 30th day. An approved registration becomes effective on the 30th day after the application is submitted to the registrar, or on the date the applicant turns 18, whichever is later. A mailed application counts as submitted on the date it is placed in the mail, postage prepaid and properly addressed.
A weekend or holiday. If the 30th day before an election falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, an application submitted on or before the next regular business day is timely.
Photo identification. Acceptable photo identification is a Texas driver's license, election identification certificate or personal identification card, a United States military identification card, a citizenship certificate with a photograph, a United States passport book or card, or a Texas license to carry a handgun. Those that expire count if they expired no earlier than four years before the date presented.
At 70 or older. A person 70 years of age or older may use an expired form of the listed photo identification if it is otherwise valid. Identification is presented only to identify the voter, not to verify residence.
Other proof. The section separately lists documents acceptable as proof of identification where the chapter calls for them, including a government document with the voter's name and address, a current utility bill, a bank statement, a government check, a paycheck, or a certified birth certificate.
Absentee and early voting, and what a provisional ballot needs in order to be counted, are set out in other sections that are not on this page. Whether a particular person is registered is a question for the local election office.
Sources for this section (2)
- Elec. Code 13.143 — When a registration becomes effective
- Elec. Code 63.0101 — Acceptable photo identification and proof of identification
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Texas attorney.