Texas Overseas Voting Guide
If Texas is your last U.S. residence, this is where your ballot comes from — no matter what country you live in now, and however long you have been away. The deadlines below are for the November 3, 2026 federal general election.
Texas deadlines at a glance
Texas deadlines at a glance
Election Day
Nov 3, 2026
Register to vote
PassedDeadline
Oct 23, 2026
at the close of business, Texas time
Received by Oct 23, 2026 at the close of business, Texas time.
Request your ballot
PassedDeadline
Oct 23, 2026
at the close of business, Texas time
Received by Oct 23, 2026 at the close of business, Texas time.
Apply by October 5, 2026 for a full ballot with state and local contests on it. After that, through October 23, 2026, you can still get a ballot for federal offices.
Return your voted ballot
Passed2 voter types ↓Deadlines as early as
Nov 3, 2026
+5 days to arrivePostmarked by Nov 3, 2026.
Varies by voter type — see below
These dates and process details come from the Federal Voting Assistance Program's 2026–27 Voting Assistance Guide, the U.S. Department of Defense's official source for Texas. Some deadlines below were checked against the Texas Secretary of State's Election Advisory 2024-01 and the Texas Election Code and differ from the federal guide. Deadlines can change after it is published, so confirm anything you are close to with your local election official.
Registering and requesting your ballot
Request your Texas ballot
One federal form registers you and requests your absentee ballot. Overseas voters file it again every election year, even if you voted last time.
Texas asks new registrants for the last four digits of your Social Security number or a state-issued ID or driver's license number.
Ballot request deadline: October 23, 2026 at the close of business, Texas time.
Use the backup ballotNot sure you will return? You can still vote.
If you are not certain whether you will return to Texas, you are a federal-only voter. You can vote in this election for U.S. House and U.S. Senate.
You still have to ask for your ballot: request it with the same federal form every overseas voter uses.
Two dates matter for you: your ballot request must be received by October 23, 2026 at the close of business, Texas time, and your voted ballot postmarked by November 3, 2026. It must still arrive within 5 days of Election Day.
If you DO intend to return to Texas, when you ask matters as much as whether: a request received by October 5, 2026 gets you a full ballot with state and local contests on it. A request received after that, through October 23, 2026, gets a ballot for federal offices only. Sending early is what keeps the whole ballot.
If your situation has changed, or you are not sure which group you fall into, your local election official is the right person to ask.
Receiving your ballot
Once Texas accepts your form, it sends you your ballot. Federal law required states to send ballots to overseas voters by September 19, 2026 for requests already on file. A request made now is sent once it is processed.
Still waiting for your ballot?
Let us know. We track delivery issues and raise them with election officials.
Returning your Texas ballot
Texas does not take a voted ballot by email or fax, with one narrow exception: a service member, or their spouse or dependant, in a hostile fire or imminent danger pay area or a combat zone may email it. Everyone else must return their ballot to Texas by post. It must be postmarked by November 3, 2026. It must still arrive within 5 days of Election Day.
Return your ballot according to the instructions that came with it — the envelopes, the signature and any witness or ID requirement are set by your state. If anything is missing or you are not sure what they want, your local election official is the person to ask.
3 ways to return it — choose one
Post
Post your voted ballot in the return envelope from your packet. International postage from your country applies, and delivery takes two to three weeks from most places.
Uniformed service members and their families
Sent by Nov 3, 2026
It must still arrive within 6 days of Election Day.
All other overseas voters
Postmarked by Nov 3, 2026
It must still arrive within 5 days of Election Day.
Scan or photograph your voted ballot and any forms in your packet, and email them to your election office. The address and any cover sheet come with your ballot.
The federal guide states no deadline for this option — ask your local election official before you use it.
Only for the narrow exception described above. Everyone else must return their ballot to Texas by post.
By courier — DHL, FedEx or UPS
Faster, costs moreA courier takes a few days instead of a few weeks and gives you tracking. It costs more than international postage, and how much depends on the country you are sending from.
Same deadlines as returning by post:
Uniformed service members and their families
Sent by Nov 3, 2026
It must still arrive within 6 days of Election Day.
All other overseas voters
Postmarked by Nov 3, 2026
It must still arrive within 5 days of Election Day.
Texas accepts an emailed ballot only from service members, and their spouses and dependants, in a hostile fire or imminent danger pay area or a combat zone. For everyone else it is post only.
After you send it
- Check it arrived
Texas's ballot lookup shows whether your voted ballot came back.
Additional resources
The official places to check your ballot, reach the office that handles it, and read the rules in full.
Texas overseas voting questions
What is the Texas ballot deadline for overseas voters?
As early as November 3, 2026. Varies by voter type and how you send it. It must still arrive within 5 days of Election Day.
What if my Texas ballot has not arrived?
If your ballot has not arrived and your deadline is close, the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot is the federal backup ballot. You can fill it in for federal offices and send it now; if your real ballot turns up later, complete and return that too — only one of them is counted. Whether it can also register you in Texas is not stated in the federal guide — ask your local election official if you are not yet registered.
Can I email or fax my ballot back in Texas?
Almost certainly not. Texas does not take a voted ballot by email or fax, with one narrow exception: a service member, or their spouse or dependant, in a hostile fire or imminent danger pay area or a combat zone may email it. Everyone else must return their ballot to Texas by post.
When is the Texas registration deadline for overseas voters?
As early as October 23, 2026 at the close of business, Texas time, if you intend to return to Texas. If you are not certain you will return, you request a federal ballot directly and vote for U.S. House and U.S. Senate.
Can I vote in Texas if I am not sure I will return?
Yes. You can request a ballot directly and vote for federal offices — U.S. House and U.S. Senate. If you do intend to return, ask early: a request received by October 5, 2026 gets a full ballot, and one received after that gets federal offices only.
How do I check that my Texas ballot was counted?
Texas offers an online ballot-status lookup where you can check that your ballot was sent and that your voted ballot came back. The link is under Additional resources on this page.
Who is my local election official in Texas?
Your local election official is the county or municipal office that handles registration and ballots for your last U.S. address in Texas. You can look up their contact details on our election-office finder.
More questions?
Our team answers questions from overseas voters every day. Ask us anything this page did not cover.
Ready to request your Texas ballot?
One form registers you and requests your ballot.