How To Check If Your Registered To Vote Texas

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Voter Registration

Nether Section xiii.001 of the Texas Ballot Codeⁱ, to be eligible to register to vote² in Texas, a person must:

Be xviii years or older on ballot day,
Exist a United States citizen,
Be a resident of the county where the awarding is submitted,
Not exist finally convicted of a felony or, if and then, accept completed the terms of the jail judgement, probation or parole, and
Accept non been declared by a court exercising probate jurisdiction to be either totally mentally incapacitated or partially mentally incapacitated without the right to vote.

To annals to vote, Section 13.002 requires that a person submit an awarding either in person or by postal service to the county voter registrar in the county in which the voter resides. The application must be in writing and signed by the applicant³.

In one case a voter registrar receives an application, the voter registrar volition review information technology to determine whether it is properly completed and whether the person is eligible for registration under the law⁴. The registrar has seven days to make up one's mind whether to reject or have an application^five. If the application is rejected, the registrar has to notify the bidder in writing within two days of the reason for rejection⁶. If the awarding is accepted, the voter registrar prepares a voter registration document for the voter that contains the applicant's county election precinct number and registration number^seven. The registration becomes constructive on the 30th day afterward the appointment the awarding is submitted to the registrar or the date the bidder turns eighteen years old, whichever is later⁸. Under Section thirteen.144, the voter registrar is so required to mail or deliver the voter'southward registration certificate to the voter at the mailing address on the applicant's registration application no later than 30 days afterward the registrar receives the awarding^nine.

The Secretarial assistant of State, as set up out in Section 18.061, is required to implement and maintain a statewide, computerized voter registration listing that serves equally the unmarried system for storing and managing the official list of registered voters in the country. The list must contain the name and registration data of each voter registered in the country, assign a unique identifier to each registered voter, and be available to any ballot official in the state through firsthand electronic access¹⁰.

Nether State police, each voter registrar is required to provide the Secretarial assistant of Land with an updated list of registered voters in their county^eleven. This is how the statewide list was created, and how information technology is maintained. And one time registered, a voter remains a registered voter on this list until a qualifying event occurs that causes removal from the listing.

To maintain the integrity of the country'southward voter registration records, Country law requires both the Secretary of State and the local voter registrar to regularly review the voter registration lists and compare them with information received from other government agencies to ensure that the state is maintaining an accurate list¹². Voter registrars work to verify the accurateness of the lists on a regular basis.

Under State law, when the Secretary of Country or the local voter registrar receives the following items, they are required to cancel a voter'due south registration:¹³

Notice that the voter resides in a county outside the county they are registered in¹⁴.
Notice that a voter is deceased¹⁵.
An abstruse of terminal judgment regarding the voter'south mental incapacity to vote.
An abstruse of last judgment regarding a voter's felony conviction.
Notice that a voter is not a citizen of the United States^xvi.

To ensure that properly registered voters are not removed from registration lists, the State of Texas has come upward with a process to verify whether or not a registered voter is eligible to vote. In addition, State law also provides a process for local voter registrars to investigate and verify a voter'due south eligibility when the voter registrar is given data that would phone call that voter's eligibility into question¹⁷.

Strong Matches five. Weak Matches

In determining which action is appropriate to take, the Secretary of State's function established criteria used when confirming whether or not it is appropriate to cancel a registration, or when a canton must further investigate an issue. Based on the data received, the reviewing authority will determine whether or not a "strong" match or a "weak" match occurs with a current voter registration record. When a strong friction match occurs, the voter'southward registration is automatically canceled. A weak match will outcome in the voter registrar investigating the voter'due south eligibility by sending out a "Find of Examination" or, in the instance of a match based on deceased records, a "Verification of Voter Status."^eighteen "Stiff lucifer" and "weak match" criteria are described below:

See Cancelation of Deceased Voter Registration

Encounter Cancelation due to Felony Conviction

ane. Cancelation due to residing outside of county of original awarding

When a voter moves outside of the county in which he or she originally registered to vote, the voter registrar automatically cancels the voter'southward registration in accordance with Section 16.031(a)(i). There are three circumstances that telephone call for cancelation under these circumstances

Subsequently a voter moves to a new county and fills out a registration application to change the voter's registration, the voter registrar volition give written notice to the voter'south previous canton of the voter's change in accost. In the notification, the registrar will include the voter's name, former residence address, and, if known, former registration number¹⁹.
The voter notifies the voter registrar that there has been a change in information relating to the voter'due south residency in that county²⁰. This notification tin can be made by sending in a registration certificate or registration application with the correct information²¹.
A voter's response to a confirmation find indicating the voter is no longer living within the canton he or she is registered in²².

ii. Cancelation of Deceased Voter Registration

At that place are four ways deceased records are obtained in society to compare these records to the lists of registered voters.

Each month, as required by Section xvi.001, the clerk charged with maintaining deceased records prepares an abstract of each of death certificate that has been issued that month for deceased individuals that are xviii years of age or older and a resident of the land of Texas. The local registrar of expiry then files these abstracts with (one) the voter registrar of each of the deceased individual's canton of residence and (2) the Secretary of State.
The clerks for all of the courts that have probate jurisdiction must fix an abstract of death for each application for probate of a volition, administration of a decedent's estate, determination of heirship proceedings, and affidavits under Affiliate 137 of the Probate Code and file these abstracts with (1) the voter registrar of each of the deceased individual'due south county of residence and (2) the Secretary of Land.
In addition, under Section 16.001, the Bureau of Vital Statistics is required to provide to the Secretarial assistant of State all data it has relating to deceased residents of the State of Texas. The Ballot Code also requires the Secretary of State to obtain data on deceased residents from the Social Security Administration. Under Section 18.068, the Secretarial assistant of State is required to compare the information they receive from the Bureau of Vital Statistics and the Social Security Administration, to the statewide voter registration list. After comparing the information from these different sources, the Secretarial assistant of State may be able to decide that an individual on the statewide registration listing is deceased.
A voter registrar may accept personal knowledge that a voter is deceased or may receive notice in the form of a sworn statement from a person related within the second caste of consanguinity or affinity that an individual is deceased²³.

The voter registrar will also compare the information received from these sources to see whether or not there are whatever matching voting registration records. Upon making a determination that in that location is a match, one of two actions can occur: (one) The voter's registration will be canceled, if a strong lucifer occurs, in accordance with State law²⁴ or, (2) the voter registrar will mail out a verification letter to the voter to further investigative the issue²⁵ as in the case of a weak friction match.

Potent Match

A strong lucifer occurs when 2 voter records have: (ane) the aforementioned terminal name, (2) same date of nativity, and (3) all nine numbers in the person's social security number lucifer. When this occurs, the voter's registration is canceled in accordance with Department 16.031(b)(4).

Weak Match

A weak match occurs when two voter records accept either: (1) the aforementioned nine numbers in the person'southward social security number and the aforementioned date of nativity, or (2) the last iv numbers in the social security number match and the same appointment of birth. In a weak friction match, there does not have to be a match on a voter's proper name. When this occurs, the voter registrar is required by State law to mail out, by forwardable mail, a verification letter to the voter²⁶.

The verification letter informs the voter of the potential match and asks the voter to reply to the verification asking within 30 days to preclude cancelation of his registration²⁷. The verification alphabetic character must also be mailed to the mailing address on the voter's registration application and to any new address of the voter that the registrar knows of²⁸. If the voter does not respond inside 30 days, the voter registrar is and so required under Section 16.033(d) to abolish the voter'southward registration.

3. Cancelation due to Mental Incapacity

The courts that have jurisdiction to adjudicate a person's mental capacity, fix an abstruse of concluding judgment for individuals²⁹:

xviii years or older, residents of the country of Texas and are determined to be totally mentally incapacitated or partially mentally incapacitated;
eighteen years or older, residents of the state of Texas, whose mental capacity is completely restored; or
Modifying the guardianship of a person 18 years of age or older to include the right to vote.

The court clerk files each abstract with the voter registrar of each individual'south county of residence past the 10th day of the month later the abstract was prepared³⁰. Upon receiving information determining an individual is incapacitated, the voter registrar sends out a "Notice of Exam" in accordance with Section 16.033. The voter has 30 days from the date the Discover is mailed out to reply to the Notice, or the registrar will cancel the voter'due south registration³¹. Upon receiving notification that the person'southward mental chapters is restored or the guardianship has been modified to include the correct to vote, and so the voter registrar would be able to process whatsoever application submitted past the individual.

4. Cancelation due to Felony Confidence

A person who is finally bedevilled of a felony is not eligible to register to vote. Still, under Section 11.002, once a felon has successfully completed his or her punishment, including whatsoever term of incarceration, parole, supervision, period of probation, or has been pardoned, and then that person is immediately eligible to register to vote. A person may continue to vote awaiting an appeal of his confidence, provided he meets the other eligibility requirements. Department 13.001(c) notes that "a person is not considered to have been finally convicted of an crime for which the criminal proceedings are deferred without an adjudication of guilt." For more than data on the effects of a felony conviction on the registration process, please refer to our Consequence of Felony Conviction on Voter Registration memo.

Pursuant to Section 16.003, on a weekly basis, the Department of Public Safety (DPS) is required to gear up and evangelize to the Secretary of Country, an abstract of final judgment for individuals, aged 18 and older that were bedevilled of a felony. The Secretary of State will compare this list to the statewide voter registration listing to make up one's mind whether or non at that place are whatsoever matches. All matches under this category are considered "weak" matches and are referred to the appropriate canton for the local voter registrar to farther investigate.

Weak Match

The criteria used in these matches are as follows:

Concluding/Former Name, First Name, Texas Drivers License Number
Terminal/One-time Name, First Name, Social Security Number (9 digits)
Terminal/Former Name, First Name, Social Security Number (4 digits)
Texas Drivers License Number, Date of Nascency

When the local voter registrar receives a list of these "weak" matches, they are required to mail out a "Notice of Exam" in accord with Section sixteen.033. The voter has 30 days from the appointment the Notice is mailed out to respond to the Notice, or the registrar will cancel the voter'south registration.

If the voter was incorrectly matched equally having a felony confidence, responding to the Notice in a timely style and providing the appropriate information is sufficient for preventing cancelation of a person'south voter registration. Even so, delight be brash this does not articulate any errors in the Department of Public Safe's records. If a person has been incorrectly identified every bit a felon, please refer to Criminal History Error Resolution for more information on how to clear errors on DPS records.

5. Cancelation due to Citizenship

Under Section 62.113 of the Government Code, the court clerks, who maintain the jury wheel for each county, are required to send both the voter registrar of their county and the Secretary of Country a list of each person that was excused or butterfingers from jury service because that person is not a citizen of the United states. They must do so past the third business day of the calendar month.

In one case the registrar receives the listing of individuals butterfingers from jury duty due to citizenship status, Country law requires the registrar to deliver to each registered voter on the list, a written notice requiring the voter to submit proof of United States Citizenship in the class of one of the following: (1) certified copy of the voter'southward birth certificate, (2) United States passport, or (iii) citizenship papers³².

The notice must be mailed to the mailing address on the voter's registration application and to any new address of the voter that the registrar knows of³³. The voter has 30 days from the engagement the notice is mailed out to respond to the notice, or the registrar will cancel the voter's registration³⁴. If the voter responds with the advisable documentation, the voter registrar must besides keep a copy of the proof of citizenship the voter supplied on file with the voter'due south original registration application³⁵. If the voter does not respond, or the voter does non provide the appropriate documentation to establish citizenship, the voter's registration is canceled as required by Country law³⁶.

Cancelation due to Residency Issues

Pursuant to Section fifteen.051(b), if an initial voter registration certificate delivered to the bidder past mail is returned to the registrar equally undeliverable, the voter registrar will mail the voter a "Notice to Confirm Voter Registration Address." This confirmation request will include an official response form for the voter to respond with³⁷. It must be pre-addressed for delivery to the registrar and have the postage stamp pre-paid³⁸. Unlike voter registration certificates which are not forwardable, Department xv.051(c) requires the confirmation notice be forwarded to the voter'due south last known address. The voter has 30 days from the date the observe is mailed out to respond³⁹.

The voter's response must exist in writing, signed and must contain all of the data that a person includes on a regular application⁴⁰ to register to vote⁴¹. The voter should use the form provided. If, still, the original form is no longer bachelor, then equally long as the voter responds in writing and the response contains the required information, then the voter registrar volition accept information technology⁴². Once the response is received, the voter registrar reviews the response in the same manner equally any other regular registration application and acts on it accordingly⁴³. After the voter registrar makes a conclusion on the voter's registration status, the voter registrar is required to proceed the voter'southward response on file with the voter's original application⁴⁴.

If the voter fails to respond to this find, the voter registrar is required under Section 13.146 to enter the voter's proper noun on the suspense listing.

The Suspense List

The suspense list, as detailed in Section fifteen.081, is a list maintained by the voter registrar of each county that contains the names of (1) voters that failed to reply to the confirmation notice⁴⁵, (2) voters whose renewal certificate was returned to the registrar every bit undeliverable⁴⁶, and (3) those individuals that were excused or butterfingers from jury service considering they were non a resident of that county⁴⁷, land on the juror summons notice that the individual no longer resides in the canton, or whose jury summons were returned to the district clerk as undeliverable.

An individual on the suspense list is still a registered voter and has the same rights as a non-suspense list voter. If a suspense list voter lives in the same residence, shows up at the aforementioned precinct location, shows proof of identification and fills out a statement of residence⁴⁸, then the individual volition exist able to vote, and the voter's name will be removed from the suspense list. If the voter has moved to a different residence located in the same county, the voter will also fill out a Statement of Residence and exist permitted to vote, provided the voter is living in the political subdivision or territory covered past that election⁴⁹. The Statement of Residence will be used to update the voter's registration and remove the voter'south name from the suspense list. If the suspense listing voter has moved outside of the county, the voter will be given the option to vote provisionally in accordance with Department 63.011.

If a voter's proper name is still on the Suspense list on Nov 30th following the second general election for country and county officers that occurs after the date the voter'south name is entered on the suspense listing, then the voter registrar is required by State law to cancel the voter's registration⁵⁰.

When Cancelation Occurs

Cancelation is effective immediately ⁵¹.

Under 16.035, when a voter's registration is canceled, it is effective immediately. When the registrar cancels a voter's registration, the voter registrar must enter the appointment of cancelation and the reason for cancelation on the registration awarding and indistinguishable registration certificate also equally brand any other necessary corrections in the registration records⁵².

Section 16.036 requires a voter registrar to send written detect within xxx days of cancelation to the voter informing him that his registration has been canceled. The notice must be mailed to the accost on the registration application and any other known accost of the voter. Country constabulary requires that the notice contain the appointment of cancelation, the reason for cancelation and an explanation of the voter's right to challenge the caption and appeal the registrar's decision⁵³.

A voter can cancel his own registration by submitting to the registrar a signed, written, asking for cancelation⁵⁴. Once a request is received, the registrar must cancel the voter'south registration effective immediately⁵⁵.

Challenge of Cancelation

A person whose voter registration is canceled should contact the local canton voter registrar. If the voter registrar determines that the cancelation was fabricated in error, the voter registrar has the ability to immediately reinstate the voter's registration status. If the voter registrar finds that the cancelation was made in accord with the law, then the voter has the right challenge the cancelation at a hearing before the voter registrar⁵⁶. To challenge a cancelation, a voter must file a written, signed request for a hearing with the registrar⁵⁷. Upon filing a asking for a hearing, the registrar will automatically reinstate the challenging voter's registration awaiting the upshot of the challenge⁵⁸.

Department sixteen.064 outlines the procedures for requesting a hearing. Once a request for a hearing is filed, the registrar must accept a hearing within 10 days of the initial request, unless the person that requested the hearing asks for a later date. The registrar must provide discover to the voter of the date, time, and place for the hearing inside two days of the request being filed⁵⁹. The person requesting the hearing may either appear in person to offer his evidence or he may file an affidavit with the registrar before the hearing begins⁶⁰.

After hearing and reviewing the prove or arguments offered past the challenger, the voter registrar must promptly issue a written decision in the case and deliver the conclusion to the voter⁶¹. If the registrar determines that the registration should not have been canceled, the registration that was reinstated when the voter initiated the challenge will remain⁶². If the registrar determines that the registration should be canceled, then the registrar must cancel the registration on the 31st twenty-four hour period later the registrar's decision is issued⁶³. A re-create of the decision must exist kept on file with the challenging voter's duplicate registration certificate⁶⁴.

Reinstatement

If a voter registrar receives information subsequently the date of cancelation that the voter'due south registration should not have been canceled, the registrar must reinstate it immediately⁶⁵.

If the registrar receives a argument of residence that was executed by a voter at an election earlier the appointment the voter's registration was required to exist canceled, the registrar must reinstate the registration⁶⁶. If it is discovered that the voter was canceled during the biennial suspense purge and the voter has voted in an election afterward being placed on the suspense rolls, and then the voter registrar should reinstate the voter. In such cases, information technology is likely that no Statement of Residence was requested of the voter, which was why the voter's information was not previously updated.

Immediately upon reinstatement, the registrar must deliver written notice of reinstatement to the voter. The written detect must include the date of and reason for the reinstatement⁶⁷.