Early voting underway for May 2026 primary runoff elections

Millions of Texas voters cast their ballots in the state’s primary elections back in March, but some races are still not decided.  A handful of statewide and local races advanced to runoffs after no candidate won an outright majority.

Early voting in the runoffs runs from Monday, May 18, through Friday, May 22.  Election Day is Tuesday, May 26.

Although efforts are underway to change it, Texas is currently an open primary state, which means you don’t have to be a registered Democrat or Republican to vote in that party’s primary.  When you get to the polls, you’ll be asked which primary you’d like to vote in.  You can only vote in one party’s primary.

If you voted in the March primary election, you can only vote in the same party’s runoff.  For example, if you voted in the Democratic primary, you cannot vote in a Republican runoff, and vice versa.  If you didn’t vote in the primary, you can choose which runoff to vote in.

Sample ballots are available on each county’s elections website.

In this election cycle, early voting is only from Monday, May 18, through Friday, May 22.  Polling locations will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.  Election Day voting will also take place from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., but voting locations may differ from early voting.

Under Texas law, voters are required to bring identification with them to vote.  Here are the accepted forms of identification:

~Texas Driver License

~Texas Election Identification Certificate

~Texas Personal Identification Card

~Texas Handgun License

~United States Military Identification Card containing the person’s photograph

~United States Citizenship Certificate containing the person’s photograph

~United States Passport

Under Texas law, you cannot use most wireless devices within 100 feet of a voting station, nor are you allowed to record sound or images in that space.  Those restricted electronics include:

~Cell phones

~Cameras

~Tablet computers

~Laptop computers

~Sound recorders

~Any other devices that may communicate wirelessly, or be used to record sound or images.

You are also not allowed to wear clothing, hats, flags, etc. that relates to a candidate currently on the ballot within 100 feet of the voting station.

In Texas, the deadline to register to vote is 30 days prior to the election in which you wish to cast a ballot.  For the May 26 primary runoffs, that date was April 27.  If you plan to submit your ballot by mail, the deadline for you to register to be able to do so is May 15; your application for a mail-in ballot must have been received by the office no later than this date.  If you voted by mail in the primaries, you will not have to apply for an absentee ballot again.  Your application remains valid until the end of 2026, unless there is a change in your address or other registration information.

In order to be eligible to vote, you must:

~Be a U.S. citizen

~Be at least 18 years old on Election Day

~Not be a convicted felon (with exceptions for felons who have completed their punishment)

~Not have been declared by a court to be mentally incapacitated

For more information, visit www.votetexas.gov.