Elections
Dallas County Elections administers voter registration services, election information, in-person voting, mail ballots, accessible voting options, provisional ballots, and election results for county voters. This article explains how to verify registration, prepare for an election, identify the correct ballot and voting location, meet identification rules, request a mail ballot, and avoid problems that can delay or prevent a ballot from being counted.
Election Services and Responsibility
The Dallas County Elections Department is the primary county office for voter registration and election administration. Its official systems help voters confirm registration, view a personal sample ballot, review election dates, locate Vote Centers, request or track a ballot by mail, and view election results.
Using the correct county system matters because voter records, ballot styles, districts, and local contests depend on the voter’s registered residence. A Dallas County resident should use Dallas County Elections resources rather than assuming that a statewide or neighboring county page will display the same local information.
The department also provides information for military and overseas voters, voters with disabilities, people who recently moved between Texas counties, and voters whose eligibility or identification cannot be confirmed through the standard polling-place process.
Voter Registration and Status
Registration status lookup
Before relying on an election notice, campaign mailing, or old voter registration certificate, confirm the current county record through the official Dallas County voter registration status search. The lookup accepts a voter’s first name, last name, and date of birth. A Voter ID number may also be used.
The county lookup is limited to Dallas County voters. A person registered in another county cannot access a record through the Dallas County Voter Lookup System and should instead use the Texas Secretary of State voter registration tool.
Review the result early enough to address errors before an election. Common issues include searching under a nickname instead of the registered name, entering an incorrect birth date, or assuming that a recent registration or address change has already become effective.
New voter applications
A person preparing a registration application must know the county of residence before beginning the process. The official Dallas County voter registration page also directs applicants to determine whether they are already registered before submitting another application.
An applicant’s spouse, parent, or child may act as an agent by completing and signing a voter registration application. The agent must already be a registered voter or must have applied for voter registration. This limited authorization should not be confused with informal assistance from an unrelated person.
Voters who move should pay particular attention to the county connected to their registration. Moving within Dallas County may affect districts, precinct information, and ballot contents. Moving from another Texas county may create a period in which the person’s old registration remains active while the new registration is not yet effective.
Election Dates and Ballot Information
Election information pages organize key dates, voting periods, identification requirements, Vote Center details, sample ballots, reports, and results for a specific election. The November 3, 2026 General and Joint Election page, for example, identifies sections for key deadlines, in-person identification, early voting, Election Day, personal sample ballots, and election reports.
Voters should confirm the election date and the type of election before making plans. General, primary, runoff, joint, and special elections may have different ballots, deadlines, and participating political subdivisions. A voter should not assume that information from an earlier election remains valid for the next one.
Personal sample ballots
A personal sample ballot is more useful than a general list of races because it is tied to the voter’s registration record and districts. The official sample ballot lookup asks for the voter’s first name, last name, and date of birth, or the voter’s Voter ID number.
Out-of-county voters cannot retrieve a personal ballot through the Dallas County lookup. Dallas County voters should also confirm that the registration record is accurate before treating the displayed ballot as final.
Voters are permitted to bring written materials into a voting station. Printing the personal sample ballot and marking intended selections in advance can reduce time at the voting machine. Written notes are allowed, but electronic devices are restricted in rooms where voting takes place.
Countywide In-Person Voting
Choosing a Vote Center
Dallas County uses a Countywide Vote Center model. A registered Dallas County voter may vote in person at any participating Early Voting or Election Day Vote Center, regardless of the voter’s precinct. This system allows the voter to select a participating location based on convenience rather than being limited to one neighborhood precinct site.
The Countywide Vote Center rule does not eliminate the need to verify that a location is participating in the current election. Locations and schedules can vary by election and between Early Voting and Election Day. The official in-person voting information provides access to election details, Vote Centers, sample ballots, identification rules, and polling-place procedures.
Election Day voters must be in line by 7 p.m. A voter who leaves to retrieve an acceptable form of identification must return and be in line by that deadline to use the ID and cast a regular ballot.
Identification at the Polls
Seven accepted photo IDs
Texas law identifies seven acceptable forms of photo identification for in-person voting:
Texas driver’s license
Texas Election Identification Certificate
Texas personal identification card
Texas handgun license
United States citizenship certificate containing a photograph
United States military identification card
United States passport book or card
For voters ages 18 through 69, an accepted photo ID generally may be expired for no more than four years. For voters age 70 or older, an otherwise valid accepted photo ID may be expired for any length of time. A United States citizenship certificate does not expire.
A voter registration certificate marked with an “E” after the VUID number reflects a disability exemption. A voter with that permanent exception status may vote by presenting the certificate showing the exemption.
Supporting documents
A voter who cannot present one of the accepted photo IDs and has a valid reason for not obtaining one may present a supporting document and complete a Reasonable Impediment Declaration. Supporting documents include:
A certified birth certificate, original or copy
A current utility bill, original or copy
A bank statement, original or copy
A government check, original or copy
A paycheck, original or copy
Another qualifying government document
A utility bill is considered current when it is the most recent version or is dated within two months of the date it is presented. The address on a utility bill, bank statement, government check, or paycheck does not have to match the address on the list of registered voters.
Examples of other government documents include an out-of-state driver’s license, certain identification issued by a federally recognized Native American tribe, a Texas Department of Public Safety receipt without a photo, and a current or expired voter registration certificate. For voters ages 18 through 69, a Texas driver’s license or personal identification card expired more than four years may serve as a supporting document rather than an accepted photo ID.
Name matching and affidavits
Election workers compare the name on the presented identification with the name on the Official List of Registered Voters. An exact character-for-character match is not always necessary. Minor differences involving initials, middle names, former names, or customary variations may be treated as substantially similar.
When the names are substantially similar, the voter may sign an affidavit confirming that the voter is the person listed in the registration record. A more serious discrepancy, or an inability to verify the voter’s identity, may require a provisional ballot.
A voter who possesses acceptable identification but forgot to bring it may vote provisionally. To validate that ballot, the voter generally must present acceptable photo identification to the county voter registrar within six days after the election or complete the applicable natural disaster affidavit.
Polling Place Rules
Written materials and campaigning
Paper notes and printed sample ballots may be brought into the voting station. Campaigning, however, is restricted near Vote Center entrances during voting periods.
Within 100 feet of the entrance, voters may not wear or display apparel or accessories expressing support for a candidate, political party, or ballot measure. Restricted items may include hats, shirts, pins, badges, insignias, and emblems. Election officials may require a voter to remove or cover an item before entering.
Political speeches or campaign promotion using loudspeakers or vehicles equipped with loudspeakers are prohibited within 1,000 feet of a Vote Center. These distance rules are different, so a person complying with the 100-foot restriction may still violate the broader loudspeaker restriction.
Devices and firearms
Wireless communication devices are prohibited in any room where voting is taking place. Devices capable of recording sound or images are also prohibited within 100 feet of a voting station. This includes cell phones, cameras, tablets, laptop computers, audio recorders, and video-recording equipment.
The presiding judge may determine whether a device is being used for communication or recording and may require it to be turned off. A person who refuses to comply may be directed to leave. Election officials may use devices for official duties, and a voter with special needs may receive permission to use a device as an accommodation at the Election Judge’s discretion.
Firearms are generally prohibited on the premises of a polling place. The referenced exception applies to licensed peace officers, whether on or off duty. Open-carry laws do not allow other voters to carry a handgun into a polling place.
Accessible Voting and Assistance
Curbside and accessible equipment
Dallas County provides accessible voting options for voters with mobility, vision, hearing, cognitive, or ballot-marking limitations. The official special-needs voting information describes curbside voting, accessible voting machines, assistance, interpreter procedures, late ballots, and line priority.
Accessible machines are available at Early Voting and Election Day Vote Centers for voters who are visually impaired, have limited vision, have limited dexterity, or otherwise face difficulty marking a ballot. The accessible option is intended to preserve both privacy and independence.
Curbside voting is available during Early Voting and on Election Day for a voter who cannot independently enter a Vote Center because of a disability or health condition. The voter may call the number displayed on the Vote Center’s curbside voting sign after arriving.
Personal assistance and interpreters
A voter who has difficulty reading or writing, or who has a physical disability, may receive assistance without providing proof of the disability. The voter may generally select any assistant other than the voter’s employer, an agent of the employer, or an officer or agent of the voter’s union.
A private assistant must take the Oath of Assistance, provide an address and relationship to the voter, and disclose whether the assistant received compensation or another benefit from a candidate, campaign, or political committee. The assistant must follow the voter’s directions and cannot influence the selections or disclose how the voter voted.
An interpreter must take the Oath of Interpreter. An interpreter who also helps mark the ballot must take both the interpreter and assistance oaths.
Priority in the voting line
An election officer must provide voting order priority to a person whose mobility problem substantially impairs movement. At the voter’s request, a person assisting the voter may also receive priority.
Qualifying conditions may include paralysis, lung disease, use of portable oxygen, cardiac deficiency, wheelchair confinement, severe walking limitations, inability to walk 200 feet without resting, or use of a cane, brace, crutch, or another assistive device. The voter may ask any election officer at the polling place for priority, after which the presiding judge will bring the voter and applicable assistant to the front of the line.
Voting by Mail
Mail ballot eligibility
Voting by mail is limited to voters who meet at least one authorized condition. A voter may qualify by being 65 or older, being sick or disabled, being outside Dallas County on Election Day and throughout the in-person Early Voting period, expecting to give birth within three weeks before or after Election Day, or being confined in jail while otherwise eligible to vote.
Dallas County sends a mail ballot application or ballot only after receiving a specific request from the voter. Eligible voters may begin submitting applications on January 1. The official mail ballot application instructions explain formal and informal applications, eligibility, submission methods, and deadlines.
Annual and single-election applications
An Application for Ballot by Mail may request a ballot for one election or, when applicable, for an entire calendar year. Annual applications are available to voters who qualify because they are at least 65 years old or disabled.
A calendar-year application must be submitted again when the voter changes the mailing address. A single-election request should identify the specific election. For a primary election, the voter must specify the Democratic or Republican primary. The voter may also request applicable runoff ballots when indicated on the application.
Application deadlines
The Early Voting Clerk must receive the application by the close of business 11 days before Election Day. A postmark by the deadline is not enough when the application arrives after the required time. If the deadline falls on a weekend, the preceding Friday becomes the deadline. If it falls on a state or federal holiday, the preceding business day applies.
| 2026 Election | Election Day | Application Receipt Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| General Election | November 3, 2026 | October 23, 2026 |
| General Runoff | December 12, 2026 | December 1, 2026 |
Identification numbers
Dallas County Elections strongly advises applicants to provide both an applicable identification number and the last four digits of the Social Security number. A voter who has not been issued either number must indicate that by checking the designated box.
An informal application must include the voter’s name, registered address, ballot mailing address, eligibility reason, election date, requested election, and signature. It must also include the voter’s Texas driver’s license or personal identification card number, the last four digits of the Social Security number when no qualifying Texas number has been issued, or a statement that neither number has been issued.
Returning the application
A mail ballot application may be delivered in person by the applicant with photo identification, mailed to the Early Voting Clerk, sent by an authorized delivery service, faxed, or emailed as a scanned copy containing the voter’s original signature.
Applications for a regular ballot by mail may be emailed to evapplications@dallascounty.org. A faxed application may be sent to (214) 819-6303.
When an application is faxed or emailed, the voter must also mail the original paper application. The Early Voting Clerk must receive the original within four business days after receiving the fax or email, or a ballot cannot be sent. This original-paper requirement does not apply to an emailed Federal Postcard Application.
A frequent mistake is treating an email or fax confirmation as completion of the process. For a regular mail ballot application, the paper original remains essential and must arrive within the four-business-day period.
Mail ballot tracking
After requesting or returning a ballot, voters can use the official mail ballot tracking system. The lookup asks for the voter’s first name, last name, and date of birth, or Voter ID number.
Tracking can help identify whether the county record reflects the request or returned ballot. A voter should use the registered name and verify that the search is being conducted for a Dallas County record.
Military and Overseas Voting
FPCA eligibility
Military members and eligible United States citizens living outside the country may use the Federal Postcard Application. The FPCA can register an eligible person, request an absentee ballot for local and federal elections, and update voter contact information.
Eligible applicants include active-duty military members, spouses, and dependents voting outside their home Texas county; nonmilitary United States citizens temporarily overseas; nonmilitary United States citizens permanently overseas; and qualifying National Guard members or dependents.
An FPCA is valid for the calendar year but must be submitted again whenever the voter changes the mailing address. Applications may be mailed beginning January 1.
A scanned FPCA containing the voter’s original signature may be emailed to earlyvotingmail@dallascounty.org. It may also be mailed to the Early Voting Clerk or delivered in person by the applicant.
A ballot returned through a common or contract carrier must use the official envelope and be accompanied by the required delivery receipt. The receipt must identify the person delivering the item and show the date, time, and address where the carrier envelope was received. Ballots may be rejected when picked up from prohibited political or campaign locations described by the county’s rules.
Limited and Provisional Ballots
Limited ballots after a move
A person who moves from one Texas county to another may qualify for a limited ballot when the old registration remains active and the new registration will not become effective by Election Day. The voter must have been eligible to vote in the former county if still living there and must be registered in the former county when offering to vote or applying for registration in the new county.
A limited ballot contains only offices and measures common to both the former and new counties. It may be cast only during the Early Voting period, not on Election Day, and only at the Main Early Voting location at 1460 Round Table Drive in Dallas.
Provisional ballot situations
A provisional ballot is used when an eligibility, registration, identification, or mail-ballot issue prevents the voter from completing the standard process. The official limited and provisional ballot guidance identifies situations in which a provisional ballot must be offered.
These situations may include:
The voter cannot present an accepted photo ID or qualifying supporting document.
The voter’s name on the identification is not substantially similar to the registration record.
The identification presented does not establish the voter’s identity.
The voter’s name does not appear on the voter list, but the person states that registration and eligibility are valid.
The voter applied for a mail ballot and has not properly canceled the mail ballot request or surrendered the ballot.
A court order extends polling hours and the voter casts a ballot during the extended period.
The registration address is outside the political subdivision for the election in which the voter is attempting to participate.
The voter and Election Judge complete and sign a provisional ballot envelope. The voter should receive a Notice to Provisional Voter. After the election, the ballot board reviews the record and determines whether the ballot can be counted. A notice of the decision is mailed to the voter within 30 days of the election using the address provided on the affidavit.
Curing an ID-related ballot
A provisional voter who did not present acceptable photo identification and did not complete a Reasonable Impediment Declaration must address the identification issue after the election. The voter has six days after Election Day to present acceptable identification at the Voter Registrar’s office.
Failing to complete the required cure process can cause the provisional ballot to be rejected. The six-day period should not be confused with the four-business-day deadline for mailing the original copy of an emailed or faxed mail ballot application.
Election Results and Reports
Current and historical reports
The official Dallas County election results page provides current and historical election reports. Its Election Night reporting tool displays unofficial cumulative totals and allows users to download precinct reports.
Early Voting cumulative totals are published on Election Day when polls close at 7 p.m. Dallas County begins posting Election Day results at 9 p.m. and updates them every hour until all votes have been counted.
Election Night totals are unofficial. The reporting schedule also means that a lack of Election Day results immediately after the polls close does not indicate that no ballots were cast or counted. Users should distinguish early cumulative totals, hourly Election Night updates, precinct reports, and historical reports rather than treating them as the same record.
Common Errors to Avoid
Searching the Dallas County voter lookup for a registration maintained by another county.
Using a nickname, incomplete name, or incorrect birth date when searching for a registration or sample ballot.
Assuming a general ballot contains the same races as the voter’s personal ballot.
Going to an outdated polling location without confirming that it is participating in the current election.
Bringing campaign apparel into the restricted 100-foot area around a Vote Center entrance.
Attempting to use a phone, camera, tablet, or other recording device inside the voting room.
Assuming a minor name variation automatically prevents a person from voting.
Emailing or faxing a regular mail ballot application without mailing the original paper copy within four business days.
Submitting a mail ballot application after the receipt deadline because it was postmarked before the deadline.
Failing to submit a new annual mail ballot application after changing the mailing address.
Trying to cast a limited ballot on Election Day instead of during Early Voting at the Main Early Voting location.
Failing to complete the six-day identification cure process after casting an ID-related provisional ballot.
Attempting to vote in person after requesting a mail ballot without properly canceling the request or surrendering the ballot.
Election Offices
Dallas County Elections Department — 1520 Round Table Drive, Dallas, TX 75247 — (469) 627-8683
Early Voting Clerk, Dallas County Elections Department — 1520 Round Table Drive, Dallas, TX 75247 — (214) 819-6359
Elections FAQs
What happens if an illness starts after the mail ballot deadline?
A qualified voter whose sickness or physical condition begins on or after the regular ballot-by-mail application deadline may be eligible for a late ballot. The voter must complete a late-ballot application and have a representative deliver it in person to the Early Voting Clerk at the main early voting location. The representative must be at least 18 years old and cannot be related to a candidate appearing on the ballot. Review the county’s late ballot and accessible voting guidance for the current election before arranging delivery.
Can a recent former Texas resident vote only for president?
A former Texas voter may qualify for a presidential ballot after moving to another state shortly before a presidential election. The voter generally must have been registered in Texas, must have moved out of state within 30 days of Election Day, and must not yet be eligible to vote for president in the new state. This ballot contains only the races for president and vice president. Because the application process and election dates change, confirm the current requirements through the official limited, presidential, and provisional ballot information.
How can voters check their districts and officeholders?
Dallas County voters can use the official elected officials lookup to review federal, state, county, city, school district, college, and water-district offices. This is useful when researching representation between elections or confirming which government level handles a particular issue. District boundaries can change after redistricting, annexation, or an address update, so voters should rely on the current county record rather than an older voter certificate or campaign mailing.
Can a relative complete a voter registration application?
An applicant’s spouse, parent, or child may complete and sign the application as the applicant’s agent. The relative acting as agent must already be registered to vote or must have submitted a voter registration application. Before filing another form, use the county’s registration status search to check whether an active Dallas County record already exists.