For all the lead-up to the 2020 elections and their importance for the state of Texas, civic nonprofits dedicated to getting voters to the polls know that the key is education: knowing when and where to vote is equally important as choosing an option on the ballot.
This 2020 primer serves as a reminder for important dates related to voter registration, primary elections, voting by mail, and special elections (for voters in those districts).
Special Election Run-offs
January 21: Early voting starts in special election runoffs for three Texas house seats.The seats up for grabs are in House Districts 28, 100, and 148
January 24: Early vote ends for special election runoffs.
January 28: Election day
Primary
February 3: Last day for Texans to register to vote and be eligible to cast a ballot in the March primaries. Find more information about voter registration here.
February 18: Early voting for the primaries will begin on February 18 and continue for the following 10 days. Visit your county’s website to find information about your polling location.
February 21: This is your last day to request a ballot to vote by mail in the primaries. In order to be eligible to vote by mail in Texas, you must meet certain conditions. Learn more about your eligibility and how to apply for a mail in ballot here.
February 28: Early voting ends.
March 3: Election day! For those that don’t vote early, election day is the last chance to vote in the primaries. Find out your polling location by visiting your county’s official website.
Run-off
April 27: This is the last day to register to vote and be eligible to cast a ballot in the runoff for the primary. If a candidate in the March primary does not receive 50 percent or more of the vote, the top two candidates will automatically be placed on the runoff ballot. You can find more information about voter registration here.
May 15: This is your last day to request a mail-in ballot for the runoff. In order to vote by mail in Texas, you have to meet certain conditions. Learn more about your eligibility and how to apply for a mail in ballot here.
May 18: Early voting for the primary runoff will begin May 18 and continue for the following four days. Keep in mind that you can only vote in one party’s primary each year—if you voted in the Democratic primary in March, you will not be able to vote in the Republican runoff in May. Visit your county’s website to find information about your polling location.
May 22: Final day to vote early in the primary runoff.
May 26: Election day in the primary runoff. This is the final day to determine the nominees for the general election. You can find out your polling location by visiting your county’s official website.
General Election
October 5: Is your last day to register to vote for the November general election. You can find more information about voter registration here.
October 19: Early voting for Texans begins October 19 and continues for the following 11 days. Visit your county’s website to find information about your polling location.
October 23: This is your last day to request a ballot to vote by mail. In order to be eligible to vote by mail in Texas, you must meet certain conditions. Learn more about your eligibility and how to apply for a mail in ballot here.
October 30: Early voting ends.
November 3: Election day. If you didn’t get a chance to cast your ballot during early voting, this will be your last chance to participate. You can find out your polling location by visiting your county’s official website.
