County Clerk
Elections Division
Early Voting by Mail
Who can vote by mail?
You are eligible to vote early by mail if you are a registered voter who is:
- 65 years of age or older
- out of the county during the entire election
- sick or disabled
- confined in jail, but eligible to vote.
How do I get a ballot?
To vote by mail, you must first apply for a ballot. The Travis County Clerk's office does not send out applications or ballots without a specific request from the voter.
We must receive your application no earlier than 60 days before election day and no later than the close of business 7 days day before election day. If the deadline falls on a weekend, the last day to submit an application is the preceding Friday. If the deadline falls on a state or federal holiday, the ballot must be received on the preceding business day.
In most cases, you must send your application for a ballot to us by regular mail or common/contract carrier. However, if you wish to vote by mail because of a planned absence, you may apply in person before the first day of early voting. If you are outside Travis County, you may FAX your application to us at (512) 854-3969.
Where do I get an application?
You may download an application from our site. This file requires Adobe Acrobat Reader to view or print. The reader can be downloaded free from Adobe.
Military and overseas citizens should use the Federal Postcard Application (FPCA).
You do not have to use a formal application; however, an informal application must be in writing and include:
- your signature (or a witness' signature if you cannot sign);
- your name and the address at which you are registered to vote;
- the address to which the ballot is to be mailed;
- the election date and for which election you are requesting a ballot (for a primary election, you must state the political party's primary in which you wish to vote); and,
- a reason why you are eligible to vote early by mail (to be ligible to vote early due to a planned absence from the county, your application must state an address out-of-county to have your ballot mailed).
How soon must I return the ballot?
We must receive your marked ballot by 7 p.m. on election day! If you are mailing your ballot from outside the United States, we must receive your ballot by the fifth day after election day.
How do I get more information?
For more information on ballot by mail and FPCAs, call us at (512) 238-VOTE (238-8683 a 24-hour automated voice-response system), fax us at (512) 854-3969, email us, or write us at: Elections Division, Travis County Clerk, PO Box 149325, Austin, TX 78714-9325
Last Modified: Wednesday, March 18, 2009 3:36 PM