View Voting By Mail FAQs
Application for Ballot By Mail
In the process of voting and returning your mail ballot, make sure to follow the steps below:
A completed mail ballot MUST be returned to the Harris County Election Administrator’s Office in the Official Carrier Envelope provided to you. It may be returned in any of the following manners:
Important Notes:
For more information:
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 the Elections Administrator's Office at
FPCA@cco.hctx.net.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 (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.
In Texas, voters who are 65 years of age or older or are disabled may submit an annual ballot by mail application to the early voting clerk starting on the first day of a calendar year. 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 County Clerk’s Office via mail, or common or contract courier by 7:00 p.m. on Election Day.
Voters who are physically unable to enter the polling location without assistance or likelihood of injury to the voter’s health may ask the presiding election official to allow them to vote outside the polling location. The election officer will deliver a ballot to the voter at the polling place entrance or curb. A special curbside buzzer will be placed near the entrance of the poll 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 Elections office at 713-755-6965. Voting curbside will not shorten the time at the polls as curbside voters are voted as their place in line arrives to the qualification table.
The eSlate voting equipment affords voters with disabilities the capability to vote independently and privately at the polling location during the Early Voting Period or on Election Day. The eSlate is pre-equipped with two large buttons, called jelly switches, as an accessibility aid to voters whose tactile skills do not lend easily to operating the eSlate with the embedded buttons. The jack into which these tactile inputs are plugged is a standard 3.5mm jack, allowing voters who prefer to provide their own input device (such as a sip/puff device) to do so. Also available to the voter are a pair of standard headphones, or the option to plug in their own headphones, through which all operations on the eSlate will be narrated. This allows a voter with vision impairments to navigate the eSlate without assistance from a third party. [HartInterCivic]
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 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 Elections Division at 713-755-3150 for 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.
NOTE: Providing a Texas Driver’s License or Texas Personal ID expedites the voter qualification process.
Texas Driver License issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)
Texas Personal Identification Card issued by DPS
Texas Election Identification Certificate issued by DPS
Texas Handgun License issued by DPS
United States Military Identification Card containing your photograph
United States Passport (book or card)
United States citizenship certificate containing your photograph
* With the exception of the U.S. citizenship certificate, the identification must be current or, for voters aged 18-69, have expired no more than 4 years before being presented for voter qualification at the polling place. A person 70 years of age or older may use a form of identification listed above that has expired if the identification is otherwise valid.
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. For more information: Call (512) 424-2600 or visit http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/DriverLicense/electionID.htm
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 polls. 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 polls 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 polls. Please contact your voter registrar for more details.
In 1998, Harris County officials and community leaders began the process of selecting a new voting system to replace the punch-card machines.
After an extensive evaluation process, the Hart InterCivic eSlate electronic voting system was selected in 2001. In 2002, Harris County became the largest metropolitan area in the United States to implement the use of an electronic voting system.
Judge's
Booth
Controller
The JBC is the polling place control console used by election clerks to afford citizens access to the voting process. Among other things, it serves as an electronic ballot box.
Ballot
Access
Code
The four digit 'Access Code' is provided to qualified voters at the poll. The 'Access Code' ensures the correct ballot information is transmitted from the JBC to the eSlate each voter employs to cast a vote.
eSlate
Booths
The eSlate booths serve as a polling place voting station where a voter can vote privately.
eSlate
and DAU
eSlate
The eSlate voting machine allows voters to cast electronic ballots by turning a rotary SELECT wheel. Specially modified Disabled Access Unit (DAU) eSlates allow voters with disabilities to use headphones or other adaptive devices to vote independently.
Information is vital to accessing the voting process. For this reason, I encourage you to contact us if you have a question, need assistance or have a suggestion.
Harris County Administration Building
1001 Preston, 4th Floor, Rm. 439
Houston, TX 77002
(713) 755-6965
voters@harrisvotes.com
ADA Coordinator: Rachel Brown
August 2020 Subject Matter Expert Public Report
February 2021 Subject Matter Expert Public Report
(713) 755-6965
ada@cco.hctx.net
1001 Preston, 4th Floor, Rm. 440
Houston, TX 77002
(713) 755-3150
BBM@cco.hctx.net
1001 Preston, 4th Floor, Rm. 439
Houston, TX 77002
(713) 755-6965