HOUSTON — 2020 is a major election year and we want to make sure your voice is heard. The race for president highlights the ballot, which has several national, state and local races. In the primaries, the parties will nominate the candidates who will go head-to-head in November.
Election Day is March 3 and here's what you need to know.
Am I registered to vote?
You must be registered in order to vote in Texas. You can check online to see if you are currently registered to vote.
What do I to need to vote?
When you head to the polls, you need one of the following to cast your vote.
- 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)
Don’t have one of those? Here are supporting forms of ID.
- Copy or original of a government document that shows the voter’s name and an address, including the voter’s 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 the voter’s identity (which may include a foreign birth document).
What's on the ballot?
In the primary, each party will choose its candidate for U.S. president, U.S. Senate, congressional offices, legislative offices, the State Board of Education, the Railroad Commission and judicial seats. All Texans will have the opportunity to vote for candidates in statewide races, but other contests will depend on where you live.
Check sample ballots for the counties around Houston and southeast Texas.
- Harris County sample ballots: Democrats | Republicans
- Montgomery County sample ballots: Democrats | Republicans
- Fort Bend County sample ballots: Democrats and Republicans
- Galveston County sample ballots: Democrats and Republicans
- Brazoria County sample ballots: Democrats and Republicans
- Chambers County sample ballots: Democrats and Republicans (bottom of page)
- Grimes County sample ballots: Democrats and Republicans (left side of the page)
- Liberty County sample ballots: Democrats | Republicans
- Waller County sample ballots: Democrats and Republicans
- Wharton County sample ballots: Democrats and Republicans
- Walker County sample ballots: Democrats and Republicans
- Polk County sample ballots: Democrats | Republicans
- San Jacinto County sample ballots: Democrats and Republicans (bottom of page)
- Matagorda County sample ballots: Democrats | Republicans
- Colorado County sample ballots Democrats and Republicans (Bottom of page under '2020 Election information')
Where do I vote?
These are the voting locations around Houston and southeast Texas.
- Harris County: You can vote at any of the voting locations in the county for early voting
- Montgomery County
- Fort Bend County
- Galveston County
- Brazoria County
- Chambers County
- Grimes County
- Liberty County
- Waller County
- Wharton County
- Walker County
- Polk County
- San Jacinto County
- Matagorda County
- Colorado County
To Find out if you're registered and to find your polling location, the Texas Secretary of State has created a form to look that up.
Can I vote by mail during early voting?
You can, but you have to meet any one of the below criteria, according to the Texas Secretary of State's office.
- You will be away from your county on Election Day and during early voting
- You are sick or disabled
- You are 65 years of age or older on Election Day
- You are confined in jail, but eligible to vote
You can get an application to vote by mail here:
Democratic Senate Debate
On February 18, the Democratic candidates for Texas Senate faced off in a debate on KVUE, KHOU's sister station. You can watch that debate below..
U.S. Senate candidates
There are 12 Democrats running during the primary for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by John Cornyn.
In the Republican primary, Cornyn faces John Anthony Castro, Virgil Bierschwale, Mark Yancey and Dwayne Stovall.
Texas Tribune: With a month to go, crowded Democratic primary to challenge Cornyn remains full of uncertainty