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Voting in your state

Voting in Texas, 2026

Every date and deadline for the November 3 general election, from registering to the final certificate, and who signs off on the result.

Right nowEarly voting is open in Texas through Friday, October 30.Election Day in 7 days

Every date, in order

  1. Mon, Oct 5 · passed
    Registration deadline
    Register by Monday October 5, 2026, since the 30-day deadline falls on a Sunday and moves to the next business day.1
  2. Mon, Oct 19 · passed
    Early voting begins
  3. Fri, Oct 23 · passed
    Last day for mail ballot applications
    Mail ballot applications must be received by Friday October 23, 2026, 11 days before Election Day.1
  4. Tue, Nov 3 · 7 days
    Election Day
  5. Wed, Nov 4 · 8 days
    Mail ballots must arrive
    Mail ballots postmarked by 7 p.m. on Election Day count if received by 5 p.m. on Wednesday November 4, 2026.1
  6. Tue, Nov 17 · 21 days
    County/Local canvass; County/Local certification
    Local canvassing authorities canvass not later than the 14th day after the election, November 17.2
  7. Mon, Dec 7 · 41 days
    State canvass; State certification
    The statewide canvass is complete not later than 33 days after the election, which falls on December 7, 2026. At the time set for the state canvass, the Secretary of State shall deliver the county returns to the governor, and must prepare a tabulation setting forth votes for and against each candidate at the county level.
  8. After certification
    Deadline to contest the result
    A contest for a state office must be filed with the Secretary of State by the 7th day after the election records become public or the official result is set, whichever is later.3

Questions people ask about voting in Texas

Q. When does early voting end in Texas?

Early voting runs from Monday October 19 through Friday October 30, 2026.

Q. When is the deadline to register to vote in Texas?

Register by Monday October 5, 2026, since the 30-day deadline falls on a Sunday and moves to the next business day.

Q. What is the last day to request a mail ballot in Texas?

Mail ballot applications must be received by Friday October 23, 2026, 11 days before Election Day.

Q. When does my mail ballot have to arrive in Texas?

Mail ballots postmarked by 7 p.m. on Election Day count if received by 5 p.m. on Wednesday November 4, 2026.

Q. Who certifies the election in Texas, and by when?

Local canvassing officials canvass the returns no later than the 14th day after the election and send them to the Secretary of State. Local canvassing authorities must canvass the results by November 17, 2026, the 14th day after the election. Within 24 hours of the commissioners court canvass, the county clerk must prepare and send to the secretary of state the county election. Tex. Elec. Code § 67.007. The Governor canvasses the state and federal results, except for Governor and Lieutenant Governor, no earlier than the 18th day and no later than the 33rd day after the election, and the Legislature canvasses the races for Governor and Lieutenant Governor in the first week of its session. The governor canvasses the results on a day set by the Secretary of State between the 18th and 33rd day after the election, no later than December 7, 2026. But a recount petition that is filed before certification prevents certification from occurring.

Q. What happens after the count in Texas, and when is there a recount?

The local canvass may not be held until the early voting ballot board has finished verifying and counting provisional ballots and all timely received ballots from addresses outside the United States are counted (Tex. Elec. Code 67.003(b)). In addition to automatic recount provisions, a candidate may request a recount. The process and requirements for requesting a recount vary based on a variety of factors, including the type of office, difference in number of votes, ballot counting methods, etc.

Q. How long is there to contest an election in Texas?

A contest for a state office must be filed with the Secretary of State by the 7th day after the election records become public or the official result is set, whichever is later.

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Sources

  1. Vote.org, Texas Election Center, https://www.vote.org/state/texas/
  2. NCSL, Canvass Deadlines, https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/canvass-deadlines
  3. NCSL, Contested Election Deadlines, https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/contested-election-deadlines
  4. NASS, State Election Canvassing Timeframes and Recount Thresholds, https://www.nass.org/node/2455
  5. NCSL, Election Certification Deadlines, https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/election-certification-deadlines

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