Related Information
Voter Registration
| Pre-COVID | During 2020 | 2021 Legislative Activity | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | By mail, in person, or online. | No Changes | No Legislative Activity |
| Deadline | Thirty (30) days prior to election day. | No Changes | No Legislative Activity |
| Automatic | Not allowed | No Changes | SB1 P. 2 Lines 2 - 9 PASSED and SIGNED BY GOVERNOR Automatic re-registration when voter moves to new county. |
| Same Day | Not allowed | No Changes | No Legislative Activity |
Absentee Ballot Application
| Pre-COVID | During 2020 | 2021 Legislative Activity | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Excuse | Required; Absence on election day. Disability or pregnancy. Over 65. Confinement in jail. | No Changes | No Legislative Activity |
| Automatic | No | No Changes | SB1 P. 23 - Lines 1 - 4 PASSED and SIGNED BY GOVERNOR Prohibits the distribution of early ballot application forms or ballots to persons who did not request them. |
| Deadline | Close of business the eleventh day before Election Day. | No Changes | No Legislative Activity |
| Valid for X# of Cycles | 1 | No Changes | No Legislative Activity |
Absentee Ballot Return (other than by mail)
| Pre-COVID | During 2020 | 2021 Legislative Activity | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Voter ID | Signature Verification | No Changes | SB1 P. 19 Lines 21 - 26 PASSED and SIGNED BY GOVERNOR Requires expired or unexpired driver's license number or social security number. |
| In Person | Yes | No Changes | No Legislative Activity |
| Drop Box | Not mentioned in statutes. | Gubernatorial proclamation Only one ballot drop box per county allowed. | No Legislative Activity |
| Return Deadline | Close of polls on election days | No Changes | No Legislative Activity |
Ballot Harvesting
| Pre-COVID | During 2020 | 2021 Legislative Activity | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prohibited | No | No Changes | No Legislative Activity |
| Limited 3rd Party | Household members, relatives, or persons lawfully assisting a voter. | No Changes | No Legislative Activity |
| Paid Political Operatives | Not allowed | No Changes | SB1 PASSED and SIGNED BY GOVERNOR Sec. 276.015 Prohibits activities in connection with "paid vote harvesting services." |
Early Voting
| Pre-COVID | During 2020 | 2021 Legislative Activity | |
|---|---|---|---|
| By Mail | Yes | No Changes | No Legislative Activity |
| In Person | Yes | Harris County (Houston) implemented 24-hour voting. | SB1 P. 8 - Line 22 PASSED and SIGNED BY GOVERNOR Decreases population requirement for 12-hour weekday early voting from 100,000 to 30,000; Limits voting hours on early voting days to 12 hours per day. |
| Curbside Voting | Yes, for people with disabilities who cannot enter a polling place without assistance. Available at all polling locations. | Harris County (Houston) implemented Drive Thru Voting at 10 polling places for all voters. AG Ken Paxton issued guidance noting that Drive Thru Voting is guidance not listed as an option in the Texas Election Code. | SB 7 bans Drive Thru Voting |
Voter Identification - Absentee Ballot
| Pre-COVID | During 2020 | 2021 Legislative Activity | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Signature Verification | Yes | No Changes | SB1 P. 25 - Line 23 - 24 PASSED and SIGNED BY GOVERNOR Expands acceptable signatures for verification to any known signature on file. |
| Witness Statement | No | No Changes | No Legislative Activity |
| Other | - | - | SB1111 PASSED and SIGNED BY GOVERNOR Establishes a strict ID requirement to verify the identity of voters whose voter registration address is a PO box or other address that does not correspond to a residence. |
| Cure Process | No | No Changes | No Legislative Activity |
Voter Identification - In Person
| Pre-COVID | During 2020 | 2021 Legislative Activity | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Photo ID | Required | No Changes | No Legislative Activity |
| Other Options | None | No Changes | No Legislative Activity |
| Provisional Ballots | Not given | No Changes | No Legislative Activity |
Voting Day
| Pre-COVID | During 2020 | 2021 Legislative Activity | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hours | 7:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M. | No Changes | SB1 P. 8 Lines 9 - 10 PASSED and SIGNED BY GOVERNOR Lengthens poll time to 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM. |
| Wait Time | Not mentioned in statutes | No Changes | No Legislative Activity |
| Electioneering | Prohibited within 100 feet of polling places. | No Changes | No Legislative Activity |
| Other | - | - | SB1 P. 6 Lines 20 - 21 PASSED and SIGNED BY GOVERNOR Bans curbside voting.SB1 P. 9 Lines 10 - 12 PASSED and SIGNED BY GOVERNOR People in line at poll closure may vote. |
Voter Rolls
| Pre-COVID | During 2020 | 2021 Legislative Activity | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Update Frequency | Monthly | No Changes | No Legislative Activity |
| Voter Removal | Death, moving, convicted of a felony. | No Changes | SB1 P. 3 Lines 22 - 25 PASSED and SIGNED BY GOVERNOR Immediate cancellation of voter registration if there is notice that a voter has moved to a different country. |
Abbot signs Texas elections bill, Democrats file suit
September 7, 2021
Texas Gov. Greg Abbot (R) on Tuesday signed a sweeping overhaul of his state’s election procedures after months of delay caused by Democrates who sought to block the bill they say will disenfranchise voters.
Abbot made the measure his top priority in two special legislative sessions he called over the summer, the first of which ground to a halt when state House Democrats denied majority Republicans a quorum by fleeing to Washington, D.C.
Continue Reading on thehill.com
With Voting Bill’s Inevitable Passage, Democrats In Texas Hold Out For Federal Help That May Never Come
August 31, 2021
The vote Friday on GOP-backed voting legislation in the Texas House of Representatives was a formality: Senate Bill 1, which would add new restrictions to voting and which its opponents have criticized as an attempt at voter suppression, had enough votes to pass in the Republican-controlled legislature.
Democrats twice blocked similar legislation, first with a walkout during the regular session, and then by traveling to Washington D.C. during the first special session. While there, they urged Congress to pass federal voting protections.
Ahead of the vote, Democratic state Rep. Rafael Anchia of Dallas repeated that call to action — and said the fate of Texas voters was now in the hands of federal lawmakers.
Continue Reading on HoustonPublicMedia.org
Texas House passes voting bill that lawmakers fled state to protest
August 27, 2021
Reuters — Texas’ House of Representatives on Friday passed a bill restricting voting access, more than six weeks after Democratic lawmakers fled the state in an effort to deny the legislature the quorum needed to approve the Republican-backed measure.
Continue Reading on reuters.com
As Texas Democrats mull return, GOP voting bill still awaits
August 9, 2021
AUSTIN, Texas — Twenty-six days into refusing to come home, Texas Democrats who have twice now blocked a GOP voting bill face a choice: whether to go for Round 3.
It is a decision that partly depends on if the group of more than 50 Democratic state legislators still in Washington can claim victories up through now – and the right answer is not as easy as they would like as Republican Gov. Greg Abbott begins a third attempt to overhaul Texas’ voting laws in another special session starting Saturday.
Continue Reading on ABC13.com
Texas Democrats leave state to try to stop GOP voting bill
July 12, 2021
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Democrats in the Texas Legislature bolted Monday for Washington, and said they were ready to remain there for weeks in a second revolt against a GOP overhaul of election laws, forcing a dramatic new showdown over voting rights in America.
Private planes carrying more than 50 Democrats left Austin for Dulles International Airport midafternoon, skipping town just days before the Texas House of Representatives was expected to give early approval to sweeping new voting restrictions in a special legislative session. The numbers meant the House would not have enough lawmakers in attendance to conduct business and could not, at least for now, vote on the bill.
Continue Reading on APNews.com