HOUSTON — Across Texas, there are certain qualifications for people to request and be approved for a mail-in ballot. Formerly called an absentee ballot in Texas, it allows those qualified to vote by mail during election cycles. For the Nov. 5 election, those looking to apply for a mail-in ballot must submit their application by Oct. 25. The envelope for the mail-in ballot application and the mail-in ballot do not come with prepaid postage in Texas.
THE QUESTION
Does Texas offer prepaid postage for all election mail?
THE SOURCES
Texas Election Code
U.S. Postal Service
Texas Secretary of State's Office
National Conference of State Legislatures
Federal Voting Assistance Program
THE ANSWER
No, Texas does not have prepaid postage for all election mail.
WHAT WE FOUND
The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) tells the KHOU 11 Verify Team in an email says it is up to local boards of elections to provide voters with prepaid return envelopes for mail-in ballots. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures several states have legislation that requires postage to be prepaid specifically for mail-in ballots, Texas is not one of them. In Texas, the election mail that will come with prepaid postage is voter registration applications. The Texas Election Code spells out the process, and what is required from the Texas Secretary of State's Office.
What about my Mail-In Ballot Application?
The date to apply to vote by mail is Oct. 25 for the November election. Voters need to send the application back to the respective elections office with the proper postage before returning the application via mail to your county elections office.
Here are the requirements to be eligible for a mail-in ballot in Texas.
• You are 65 years of age or older on Election Day;
• You are sick or disabled (as defined in Texas Election Code 82.002(a));
• You expect to give birth within three weeks before or after Election Day;
• You are out of your county on Election Day and during early voting hours;
• You are confined in jail or Involuntary Civil Commitment, but eligible to vote. Voters who are absent from the county or confined in jail/civilly committed may only apply for one election and its resulting runoff.
Voters can click here to request an application for a mail-in ballot via the Texas Secretary of State's Office.
Harris County Clerk's Office which manages elections for the county offers tips to ensure your ballot is not rejected.
- Your application must be signed!
- You must provide either your Driver’s License/Personal ID Number (issued by DPS) or the last 4 digits of your Social Security Number. Your number must match what is on file with your voter registration, so we encourage you to provide both numbers if you are unsure of what you registered with.
- If you’re eligible and are requesting a ballot for each of the elections this year, mark the box next to “Annual Application” and the reason you’re eligible.
- For Primaries (held during even years), you must indicate the political party you wish to receive a ballot for.
What about my Mail-In Ballot?
USPS tells the KHOU 11 Verify Team if the correct or insufficient postage is dropped in the mail, USPS will ensure it makes it to the respective county election offices. The postal service will attempt to recoup the funds from the local election offices, for the proper amount of postage. For every election, USPS requires election officials to let voters know the amount of postage required to return the ballot.
To ensure your ballot reaches its intended destination, it is encouraged voters track their ballots. USPS Postmaster General, Louis DeJoy strongly encourages voters to send in their mail-in ballot as soon as possible to account for any potential issues that may arise.
All mail-in ballots must be postmarked by election day by 7:00 PM. In Harris County, the Harris County Clerk's Office Elections Department must get the mail-in ballot by 5:00 PM on the next business day after Election Day. Voters do have the option to drop off the mail-in ballot in person only on Election Day from 7 AM - 7 PM (with the proper photo identification).