Before heading to the polls for Texas’ primary election, follow the instructions below to check your voter registration status and download a copy of your personal sample ballot.
The primary is where Republicans and Democrats choose their candidates to go up against one another in November. Voters can weigh in on either — but not both — party’s nominees.
No prior party affiliation is required to participate in the primary. Election officials will simply ask which party’s ballot you’d like, Republican or Democrat, before entering the voting booth.
If you’re not sure which ballot to choose, downloading a sample ballot will show you which races you’re eligible for in each primary.
When is early voting?
Early voting runs Tuesday, Feb. 17 through Friday, Feb. 27 for the March 3 primary election. Bexar County voters can choose from any of these early voting locations — hours vary by date. View early voting locations by map here.
Once you’ve downloaded a sample ballot, use our comprehensive 2026 Primary Voter Guide to learn more about the candidates in each race.
Remember, once you’re in the voting booth, only paper notes are allowed — phones and tablets are prohibited.
Candidates will be listed in the same order as they appear on the sample ballot, with no indication of incumbent status.
Prepare to cast your vote
To download a copy of your personalized sample ballot from the Bexar County Elections Department, you must be registered to vote at your current address.
From this link, you’ll be asked to enter your birthdate and the house number for your address (if your address is 123 Main Street, Apt. 2, you would enter 123).
Click the red “check registration” button, and the site will first confirm your registration status and home address. (Registered at an old address? More on that below.)
Below the registration confirmation information, scroll down to find a link to your individual sample ballot.
Republicans and Democrats are choosing their nominees for Texas governor, a U.S. Senate race, congressional races and most Texas Legislative races.
Most Bexar County offices are also on the ballot in 2026, where Democrats have a contested Bexar County Judge primary between incumbent Peter Sakai and former Mayor Ron Nirenberg. Democrats are choosing from a long list of potential nominees to replace retiring District Attorney Joe Gonzales.
Here are the top eight races to watch in the Republican and Democratic primary.
Winners must take at least 50% of the vote. In any race where no candidate reaches that threshold on March 3, the top two vote-takers will advance to a May 26 primary runoff.
Runoff elections are open to all voters, but those who participated in the first round will only be eligible to vote in the runoff election for the same party they selected in the primary.
The November ballot could also include independent candidates, who collect signatures to qualify, and third-party candidates, who use a convention process to select their nominees.
Read about all 250-plus candidates running in the March primary in the San Antonio Report’s comprehensive voter guides.
2026 primary election Voter Guide
What if I’m registered at an old address?
If you haven’t updated your voter registration since moving, you’ll still get a ballot based on your old address for this election.
When you show up to vote, an election official will ask if you have moved. If you answer in the affirmative, you’ll fill out a statement of residence, which will then be used to update your voter registration for the next election.