Monday, January 5, 2026

Voting by Mail - MUST BE REQUESTED EVERY YEAR NOT SENT AUTOMATICALLY (sharing chatgpt summary)

 GO TO THIS LINK FOR ALL THE OFFICIAL INFORMATION FOR VOTE BY MAIL

https://www.harrisvotes.com/Voter/Vote-by-Mail

BELOW is this information summarized by Chatgpt with links to the official state voting sites... 

Here’s the current, practical information about mail-in voting (also called “ballot by mail” or an absentee ballot) in Harris County, Texas:

🗳️ Who Can Vote by Mail in Harris County

In Texas, including Harris County, only certain voters are eligible to cast a ballot by mail. You can request a mail ballot only if you meet one of these criteria:

  • You are 65 years of age or older

  • You are sick or disabled

  • You will be out of the county during both early voting and on Election Day

  • You expect to give birth within three weeks before or after Election Day

  • You are confined in jail (but still otherwise eligible)Texas Secretary of State

Texas doesn’t allow no-excuse mail voting for everyone the way some states do.Harris Votes

📝 How to Apply for a Mail Ballot

  1. Request a Mail Ballot Application

    • You can request either:
      • A single election mail ballot, or
      • An annual ballot for all elections in the calendar year if you’re eligible (e.g., age 65+ or disabled).Harris County Clerk's Office

  2. Submit the Application

    • Must be received (not just postmarked) by the Early Voting Clerk by the deadline for that election.votetexas.gov

    • You can deliver the application:
      • By mail
      • In person
      • By common or contract carrier
      • Fax or email (with a signed form)votetexas.gov

Important: Texas Senate Bill 1 requires you to request a mail ballot application every year you want one — ballots are not sent automatically based on past elections.Harris Votes

📬 Receiving & Returning Your Ballot

  • After your application is approved, the county will mail your ballot to you.

  • When you complete your ballot, put it in the official carrier envelope and sign it.

  • Return it so the Early Voting Clerk receives it by the deadline:

    • 7 p.m. on Election Day if there is no postmark

    • 5 p.m. the next business day if it is postmarked by 7 p.m. on Election Day (for domestic mail), per Texas rules.votetexas.gov

Note: U.S. Postal Service changes in how and when mail is postmarked may affect whether your ballot arrives on time. Because of this, voters are often advised to mail ballots well before the deadline or hand-deliver them to the county elections office.Houston Chronicle

📅 Deadlines to Remember (Examples)

For recent elections in Harris County:

  • Deadline to apply for a mail ballot is usually on or near the start of early voting (e.g., Jan. 20 for a Jan 31, 2026 run-off).Harris Votes

  • Ballots must be received by the clerk by the deadlines noted above after Election Day.votetexas.gov

Deadlines change with each election, so always check HarrisVotes.com or the Secretary of State’s election calendar before you apply.Harris Votes

📊 Mail Voting in Recent Harris County Results

In the Nov. 2025 election, a small portion of early votes in Harris County were cast by mail — about 7,100 mail ballots out of more than 212,000 early votes, showing that mail voting is far less common than in-person voting.Houston Chronicle

If you want help finding the official application link or current deadlines for a specific election, let me know!

march primary election

Here’s the key info for the March 3, 2026 Primary Election in Harris County, Texas — including mail-in voting details and deadlines:

📅 March 3, 2026 Primary Election (Texas)

Election Day:
🗳️ Tuesday, March 3, 2026 — Republican and Democratic party primary elections across Texas, including Harris County. Texas Secretary of State

📌 Mail-in (Ballot by Mail) Voting for the March Primary

✅ Who Can Vote by Mail

Under Texas law, you may request a mail ballot only if you meet one of the specific eligibility requirements — such as:

  • 65 years or older

  • Sick or disabled

  • Out of the county during early voting and on Election Day

  • Expecting to give birth within 3 weeks before/after election

  • Confined in jail but otherwise eligible to vote Harris Votes+1

Texas does not offer unlimited/no-excuse mail voting. Harris Votes

📝 Application & Deadline

  • You must request a mail ballot specifically for the March 3 primary (or an annual request for all elections). Harris Votes

  • The deadline to have your mail ballot application received by the Harris County Elections Office is typically Friday, February 20, 2026 for this primary. springbranchdems.org

⚠️ Texas Senate Bill 1 requires voters to request a ballot each year — past approval doesn’t mean you get one automatically. Harris Votes

🕐 Early Voting (In Person)

  • Early voting in Texas usually begins around mid-February — for example, around Feb. 17–27, 2026 for the March 3 primary. votetexas.gov

Even if you qualify for mail voting, you can still vote early in person or on Election Day if you prefer.

📬 Returning Your Mail Ballot

After you receive your mail ballot:

  • Complete it and sign the carrier envelope.

  • Ensure it is received by the Early Voting Clerk by 7 p.m. on Election Day (March 3) to be counted.
    (If using USPS with a postmark, Texas election rules allow receipt by the next business day by 5 p.m. if postmarked by 7 p.m. on Election Day, but it’s safer to mail early). Houston Chronicle

🧾 Summary of Key Dates (March 3 Primary)

WhatDate
Election DayTue, March 3, 2026 Texas Secretary of State
Mail Ballot Application Deadline (received)Fri, Feb 20, 2026 (Harris County) springbranchdems.org
Early Voting Window~Feb 17 – Feb 27, 2026 (statewide typical period) votetexas.gov
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)