Travis County election technician John Luke sets up voting machines at a polling place at the Travis County Clerk Office in Austin Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
Texas’ March primaries are right around the corner, which means the deadline to register to vote is fast approaching.
On March 3, voters will determine which candidates will appear on the ballot in November representing each of the two major political parties in a smattering of races.
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Texas practices open primaries, so any voter can vote in either — but not both — party primary. But, to cast a ballot, an eligible voter must be registered by the deadline.
When is the deadline to register to vote?
In Texas, voters must be registered to vote 30 days before Election Day to cast a vote in that election. For the upcoming primaries, that means voter registration applications must be submitted by Monday, Feb. 2, to count.
Texans cannot generally register to vote online, but they can usually stop by the county elections office or print an application and mail it to the registrar in their county of residence.
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Prospective voters in Travis County can head to any county tax office to fill out an application. Forms can also be found at Austin-area public libraries and post offices as well as at Texas Department of Public Safety offices and Texas Department of Health and Human Services offices. Completed applications can be dropped off at any Travis County tax office or mailed to the voter registration office at P.O. Box 149327, Austin, TX 78714.
In Williamson County, applications are available at the elections office at 301 S.E. Inner Loop, Suite 104, in Georgetown, or at post offices and public libraries in the county. They can be dropped off at the elections office or mailed to Williamson County Elections, P.O. Box 209, Georgetown, TX 78627.
Hays County residents can fill out an application or mail a completed form to the county elections administrator, 120 Stagecoach Trail, San Marcos, TX 78666.
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Am I registered to vote?
Texas voters can check their registration status by checking with their county’s voter registrar or on the Secretary of State’s online voter portal at Votetexas.gov. To look up a voter registration status, you’ll need your first and last name, date of birth, and either your driver’s license number, voter ID number or county and ZIP code.
How do I change my voter registration if I moved?
If you’ve moved recently, you can update your address online at Votetexas.gov to make sure you’re registered to vote in the right place. Voters should update their address by the registration deadline to make sure they are able to vote in all the relevant local elections. But, even voters who move within Texas but forget to update their address are usually able to cast a limited ballot. More information is available from county elections offices.
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Who is eligible to vote?
Prospective voters must be:
A United States citizen
A resident of the county where they plan to register
At least 17 years and 10 months old, and 18 years old by Election Day
Not a convicted felon
Not declared ineligible to vote by a court due to mental incapacitation
What’s on the ballot?
The marquee election this midterm is for one of Texas’ two U.S. Senate seats, currently held by Sen. John Cornyn. The incumbent senator is running for reelection but faces a pair of high-profile primary challengers.
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Ken Paxton, the Texas attorney general, is seeking to unseat Cornyn and is his most formidable challenger in the Republican primary. The pair also face a challenge from Rep. Wesley Hunt, a Houston congressman.
Texas Democrats are also seeking to take down Cornyn, with two main candidates vying for that party’s nomination. U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett and state Rep. James Talarico are each vying to turn the Senate seat blue for the first time since Bob Krueger was briefly appointed to the seat in 1993.
The primaries will also determine who’s on the November ballot for U.S. House seats, statewide races including governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, land commissioner, agriculture commissioner and comptroller, and local races like county commissioners and constables.
When does early voting start?
Early voting in the Democratic and Republican primaries begins Feb. 17 and runs through Feb. 27. Election Day is March 3.
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Can I vote anywhere in the county?
In Travis and Hays counties, yes. In Williamson County, no.
Travis County voters can cast a ballot in either party’s primary at any of the 39 early voting sites or 160 Election Day sites. In addition, seven early voting sites will be open until 10 p.m. on the final two days of early voting to accommodate different schedules.
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But in contrast to years past, Williamson County voters will need to cast their ballots in the voting precinct where they live, and Democrats and Republicans will vote at separate locations. The change stems from a dispute between Williamson County’s Democratic and Republican parties, the latter of which said the change is needed for ballot security. Democrats argued the change would restrict voter access.