HOUSTON — Voters head to the polls for the May 28 primary runoff elections, setting the stage for the November general elections across the Houston area and the State of Texas. There are several key races that voters are deciding on, including one that involves Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan, who is taking on opponent David Covey. And for the second time this month, Jarvis Johnson and Molly Cook will go head-to-head, this time to be the Democratic nominee to permanently fill the Texas Senate seat vacated by John Whitmire when he was elected Houston mayor.
Stay with KHOU 11, KHOU.com and our mobile app for complete election results throughout the night.
Where to vote
Sample ballots
Requirements to vote in Texas
The information below is directly from VoteTexas.com.
State law requires you to register 30 days before the election in which you wish to vote. An applicant’s spouse, parent, or child (acting as an agent) may complete and sign a voter registration application as long as they are a registered voter or have applied for voter registration.
- You must be a United States citizen.
- You must be at least 18 years old by Election Day.
- Have not been declared totally mentally incapacitated or partially mentally incapacitated without the right to vote by a final judgment of a court exercising probate jurisdiction
- If convicted of a felony, you must have fully completed the sentence, including any term of incarceration, parole or supervision; or completed a period of probation ordered by any court; or been pardoned or otherwise released from the resulting disability to vote.
How do I find out if I'm registered to vote?
- Anyone can check their registration in less than two minutes through the Texas Secretary of State. All you need is your name, county and date of birth. More voter registration information in Texas.
- Specifically, for Harris County, you can verify your voter registration information on HarrisVotes.org. Simply click on "Voter Registration," then select "Voter Registration Search." By inputting your name or address, you can find your voter registration record.
Voter ID requirements
If you've confirmed you are registered, but don't have or never received your voter registration card, here's what you need to know. Under Texas law, voters can use one of the seven acceptable forms of photo identification at the polls when voting in person.
- Texas driver's 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 ID card with photo
- United States citizenship certificate with photo
- United States passport (book or card)
Voters who don't have and can't "reasonably obtain" one of the seven approved forms of photo ID may fill out a Reasonable Impediment Declaration (RID) (PDF) at the polls and present an alternative form of ID, such as a utility bill, bank statement, government check or a voter registration certificate.
Who can vote by mail in Texas?
If you plan to vote by mail, you must meet certain criteria to qualify.
- You are 65 years or older on Election Day
- You are sick or disabled
- You will be out of your county during the early voting period and on Election Day
- You are expected to give birth within three weeks before or after Election Day
- You are confined in jail, but otherwise eligible
Download and print application for mail ballot: English - Spanish - Vietnamese - Chinese
If you have other questions about the mail-in ballot process click here.
Tracking your mail ballot
Once you’ve sent your ballot by mail to your county’s early voting clerk, you can check the status of your mail-in ballot through the Ballot by Mail Tracker, available on the Texas Secretary of State’s My Voter Portal.
You must enter the following information:
- First Name
- Last Name
- Date of Birth
- The last 4 digits of your Social Security Number
- Your Driver’s License or Department of Public Safety Personal ID number
- Your residential address (must appear exactly as listed on your voter registration record. To look up the address listed on your voter registration record, use the ‘Am I Registered?’ tool)
- City
- ZIP code
How to correct a defect on your application for ballot by mail
If you received a notice (PDF) that your application for a mail ballot (ABBM) was rejected because you did not provide an identification number or the number included on your ABBM did not match one of the numbers associated with your voter registration record, you can correct the error online through the Texas Secretary of State's Ballot by Mail Tracker. When you log in to the Ballot by Mail Tracker, you will be prompted to enter your personal identification number(s). Once your personal identification number is validated, the ABBM you previously submitted will be processed.
To utilize the Ballot by Mail Tracker, you must enter:
- Your Texas Driver’s License Number or Texas Personal Identification Number, AND
- The last four digits of your social security number
AND - Your residence address as listed in your voter registration record
If you received a notice that your ABBM was rejected for another reason, you may be able to correct the error by submitting a new ABBM (PDF) to your county's early voting clerk with the corrected information.
If you have specific questions about your registration or the status of your ABBM, you should contact your county.
