As an out-of-state college student, the idea of voting for the first time seemed daunting. Not knowing where to start and where to go pushed me to find out more and see what I could do to vote for the first time away from home. Even if you have an apartment or residence in another state, if your permanent address is in Texas, you are still good to go.
If you are an out-of-state college student and need to now how to vote in a Texas election, here is a step-by step guide.
- Make sure you’re registered to vote
The deadline to register to vote in the November 2024 election has passed, but you can check your status here.
- Requesting an absentee ballot
After confirming you’re registered, you can get a formal application for a mail-in ballot here. To fill this form out, you will need a valid Texas Driver’s License Number or state ID number, or the last four digits of your Social Security number. For the November 2024 election, the absentee ballot must be received by Friday October 25, 2024.
- You’re done! Track your ballot
Once you’ve mailed your ballot to your county’s Early Voting Clerk, you can check the status of your mail-in ballot through this tracker where you will input your name, date of birth, last four digits of your SSN, driver’s license number, residential address, city, and zip code. Through this tracker, you are also able to correct any defects seen in the original application.