Harris County registered voters who are temporarily out of the country and wish to vote, may complete the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA). This type of application is limited to:
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the FPCA online submission; please email [email protected].
About FPCA
Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) applications pre-qualify U.S. citizens who are temporarily outside of the country to automatically receive ballots for all elections in which they qualify to vote.
The FPCA is valid for one calendar year (ending last day of December), when completed properly. The FPCA must be resubmitted every time a voter changes mailing address.
To participate in an election taking place within a calendar year, an FPCA may be mailed starting on January 1 of that year.
For additional information visit the Federal Voting Assistance Program’s website at www.fvap.gov.
Temporarily disabled voters may submit a ballot by mail application for a specific election at any time in the year of the election for which a ballot is requested, but not later than the close of regular business in the Early Voting Clerk's office or 12 noon, whichever is later, on the 11th day before Election Day unless that day is a Saturday, Sunday, or legal state or national holiday, in which case the last day is the first preceding regular business day. Eligible applicants will receive a ballot in the mail and must return it to the Early Voting Clerk. The voted ballot must be delivered to the Harris County Clerk's Office Elections Department Office via mail, or common or contract courier by 7 p.m. on Election Day.
Voters who are physically unable to enter the Vote Center, without personal assistance or likelihood of injury to the voter's health, may ask the Presiding Judge to allow them to vote outside of the Vote Center.
The Election Clerk will deliver a ballot to the voter at the Vote Center entrance or curb. A special curbside buzzer will be placed near the entrance of the Vote Center so a curbside voter may ring the buzzer from their car. A sign will identify the Curbside Voting. If you have any questions regarding Curbside Voting, you may contact the Harris County Clerk's Office Elections Department at 713-755-6965. Voting curbside will not shorten the time at the Vote Center as Curbside Voters are allowed to vote as their place in line arrives to the qualification table.
You may submit an application for a late ballot because of sickness or disability after the last day of Early Voting and before 5:00pm on Election Day. In order to qualify, the sickness or disability must originate on or after the 12th day before Election Day. (Secs. 102.001; 102.003).
You may submit an application to vote due to a death in the immediate family that occurred on or after the 5th day before Election Day and you will be absent from the county on Election Day. (Secs. 103.001; 103.003b).
Voters are required to submit an application for these specific instances. Please contact the Harris County Clerk's Office Elections Department at 713-755-6965 with any questions.
Pursuant to Section 63.0013, Election Code: An Election Officer may give voting order priority to individuals with a mobility problem that substantially impairs the person's ability to move around.
Voters who wish to be given voting order priority, and be accepted for voting before others in line to vote at that Vote Center may indicate this to any Election Officer serving at the Vote Center. The Presiding Judge will determine whether the voter and the voter's assistant, if applicable, will be brought forward to the front of the line.
Federal law (Help America Vote Act) stipulates that if a voter appears at a Vote Center to vote in an election, and for some reason their name does not appear on the official roster of voters, the voter may cast a Provisional Ballot if they claim to be both eligible to vote in the election and registered to vote in that jurisdiction.
However, whether an individual is eligible to vote, and whether the Provisional Ballot will be counted, is determined by State law. (HAVA Section 302(a)(4)).
NOTE: Providing a Texas Driver’s License or Texas Personal ID expedites the voter qualification process.
With the exception of the U.S. Citizenship Certificate, the identification provided must be current or, for voters aged 18-69, have expired no more than four years before being presented for voter qualification at the Vote Center.
Voters who currently do not have an approved form of photo ID may apply for an Election Identification Certificate (EIC) at no charge with the Department of Public Safety. Voters can obtain this ID by visiting a DPS Drivers License office or an EIC Mobile Station.
- a government document that shows the voter's name and address, including the voter's voter registration certificate;
- a current utility bill;
- a bank statement;
- a government check;
- a paycheck; or
- a certified domestic (from a U.S. state or territory) birth certificate or a document confirming birth admissible in a court of law, which establishes the voter's identity (which may include a foreign birth document).
Voters who are unable to provide an acceptable form of photo ID or an acceptable supporting document may vote provisionally. Voters will need to sign a Provisional Affidavit and will have 6 days after the election to cure their ballot by bringing approved photo identification to the County Voter Registrar's Office.
EXEMPTION: Voters with a disability may apply with the County Voter Registrar for a permanent exemption to showing acceptable photo ID or following the Reasonable Impediment Declaration procedure at the Vote Centers. Voters with a religious objection to being photographed or voters who do not present an acceptable form of photo identification or follow the Reasonable Impediment Declaration procedure at the Vote Centers because of certain natural disasters may apply for a temporary exemption to showing an acceptable form of photo identification or following the Reasonable Impediment Declaration procedure at the Vote Centers. Please contact your County Voter Registrar for more details.
Harris County Clerk's Office Elections Department is pleased to announce the next generation of voting machines to make voting more accessible and transparent to and for voters, the Verity Duo from Hart InterCivic.
Verity Duo combines the ease and accuracy of touchscreen ballot marking with the assurance of a voter-verifiable paper trail. Verity Duo prints an easy-to-read summary of voter choices for verification, and the scanner counts votes directly from this summary.
Harris County Clerk’s Office Elections Department 15600 Morales Road, Houston, TX 77032 (713)755-6965 [email protected] [email protected]