Confirmed, from the official source: early voting by personal appearance for the 3 November 2026 election in Texas began on 19 October 2026 and ends on 30 October 2026, according to VoteTexas.gov, the Texas Secretary of State’s voter site. As of today, 30 October 2026, today is the last day of early voting. Election Day is Tuesday 3 November 2026. Confirmed: Texas has a record 19,041,684 registered voters for this election, according to the Texas Secretary of State’s announcement. This article explains the dates, hours and rules from official sources only. It gives no personal advice about any reader’s eligibility or ballot. For your own registration status, polling place and hours, use VoteTexas.gov or Vote.gov, or contact your county elections office.

Texas differs from many other states in three visible ways: early voting in person is open to any registered voter, with no reason needed; voting by mail is limited to voters who meet specific conditions; and voters do not register with a party. Each point is explained below, with the official source named. Where a rule varies by county — and hours and locations do — this article says so, rather than giving a single statewide hour that would be wrong in many counties.

For the races on the ballot, see the 2026 midterm elections explainer, the Texas Senate race explainer and the governor races explainer. For a separate, pending court case about proof of citizenship for registration in Arizona — not a Texas rule — see the RNC v Mi Familia Vota explainer.

The dates: what has passed, what is left

VoteTexas.gov states the position plainly: “Early voting by personal appearance for the November 3, 2026 Election begins on October 19, 2026 and ends on October 30, 2026. You may vote at any early voting location in your county of registration.” Its polling-place page repeats: “In-person early voting for the November 3, 2026 Election runs October 19-30.”

That sentence contains the two most useful facts in Texas early voting. First, the period is fixed statewide: Monday 19 October through Friday 30 October, including the intervening weekend. Second, during early voting a voter is not tied to a single neighbourhood polling place. Any early voting location in the voter’s county of registration may be used. On Election Day the rule is different in counties that do not use countywide vote centres: there, a voter generally votes at an assigned precinct. In counties participating in the Countywide Polling Place Program — vote centres — a voter may vote at any location in the county on Election Day as well, VoteTexas.gov notes. Check your county’s arrangement on VoteTexas.gov rather than assuming the early-voting rule carries over.

Hours: the statewide minima, and why your county’s hours control

There is no single statewide early-voting hour in Texas. Hours are set county by county, within floors laid down in the Texas Election Code. This article gives those floors — the only hours that can be stated statewide without being wrong — and directs readers to their county for the actual schedule.

Under Texas Election Code § 85.005, early voting at the main early voting polling place must be conducted on each weekday of the early voting period that is not a legal state holiday, for at least nine hours, and voting may not be conducted earlier than 6 a.m. or later than 10 p.m. For a primary or general election for state and county officers, voting at the main location must be conducted for at least 12 consecutive hours on each weekday of the last week of the early voting period, within the same 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. window.

Weekend voting is governed by § 85.006. In such an election, the early voting clerk must order voting at the main location on the last Saturday for at least 12 consecutive hours (not before 6 a.m. or after 10 p.m.), and on the last Sunday for at least six consecutive hours (not before 9 a.m. or after 10 p.m.). In 2026 the last Saturday was 24 October and the last Sunday 25 October — both now past.

Who can vote early, and who can vote by mail

Any registered voter may vote early by personal appearance. VoteTexas.gov states: “You do not have to meet any special qualifications to vote early in person – if you are registered and qualified to vote on Election Day, you can also cast a ballot during the early voting period.” No reason, application or excuse is required. That is the most important contrast with voting by mail.

Voting by mail — VoteTexas.gov no longer calls it absentee voting — is limited. “Only specific reasons entitle a registered voter to vote early by mail,” VoteTexas.gov states. The qualifying reasons, as listed by the Secretary of State’s office, are: being 65 years of age or older on Election Day; being sick or disabled; expecting to give birth within three weeks before or after Election Day; being away from the county of registration on Election Day and during the early-voting hours; being civilly committed under Chapter 841 of the Texas Health and Safety Code; or being confined in jail but otherwise eligible.

Two mail-ballot points cause the most rejected applications. First, the application deadline is a receipt deadline: the application must be received by the early voting clerk by the deadline — 23 October 2026 for this election, according to county and U.S. Vote Foundation listings — and a postmark is not enough. Second, mail voters must provide an identification number on both the application and the ballot carrier envelope, and it must match the registration record: a Texas driver’s licence, personal identification card or Election Identification Certificate number, or, if the voter has not been issued one, the last four digits of the Social Security number. Providing both numbers, where a voter has both, is the Secretary of State’s recommended way to maximise the chance of a match.

ID at the polls, and the “no party registration” rule

Texas requires photo identification to vote in person. The seven acceptable forms, as listed by the Secretary of State, are: a Texas driver’s licence; a Texas personal identification card; a Texas Election Identification Certificate; a U.S. passport (book or card); a U.S. citizenship certificate with photograph; a U.S. military identification card with photograph; and a Texas handgun licence. A voter registration certificate is not, on its own, an acceptable photo ID.

Texas does not have party registration. VoteTexas.gov’s party-affiliation FAQs state: “when a person registers to vote in Texas, they do not register with any kind of party affiliation,” and a registered voter need not pre-register or affiliate with a party before voting in a primary. Affiliation arises instead from voting in a party’s primary or taking a party oath, and expires at the end of each calendar year. A count of registered voters in Texas is therefore not a count of party members — a point that matters for the total below.

The record registration total — confirmed, with context

News outlets reported in October 2026 that Texas Secretary of State Robert Howden announced a record 19,041,684 registered voters ahead of the 3 November election — 19.04 million, about 2.2% more than the November 2024 general election, according to the Secretary of State’s announcement (sos.state.tx.us).

Frequently asked questions

When does Texas early voting end in 2026?

Early voting by personal appearance ends today, Friday 30 October 2026, according to VoteTexas.gov. Election Day is Tuesday 3 November 2026, with polls open 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. statewide.

Can I vote at any early voting location in Texas?

During early voting, you may vote at any early voting location in your county of registration, according to VoteTexas.gov. You may not use a location in a different county. On Election Day, the rule depends on whether your county uses countywide vote centres; check VoteTexas.gov for your county.

What ID do I need to vote in person in Texas?

Texas requires one of seven acceptable forms of photo ID. If you do not possess one and cannot reasonably obtain one, you may use a supporting document with a Reasonable Impediment Declaration. Check the full list and expiry rules on VoteTexas.gov before you go.

Can anyone vote by mail in Texas?

No. Voting by mail is limited to voters who meet specific conditions, including being 65 or older on Election Day, being sick or disabled, expecting to give birth within three weeks before or after Election Day, being away from the county during early voting and on Election Day, or being confined in jail but otherwise eligible. The application for this election had to be received by 23 October 2026. Check VoteTexas.gov’s voting-by-mail pages for the full list.

Updated: 30 October 2026. Early voting ends today, 30 October 2026; Election Day is 3 November 2026. Check your registration, location and hours on VoteTexas.gov or Vote.gov, or with your county elections office, before travelling to vote.

SOURCES

• VoteTexas.gov (Texas Secretary of State), “Registration FAQs” — https://www.votetexas.gov/faq/registration
• VoteTexas.gov, “Early Voting In Person in Texas” — https://www.votetexas.gov/voting/early-voting.html
• VoteTexas.gov, “Find Your Polling Place in Texas” — https://www.votetexas.gov/voting/where.html?utm_source=Meta&utm_medium=Paid_Social&utm_campaign=SOS-General-New&utm_content=4_Early_Voting_Video
• VoteTexas.gov, “Party Affiliation FAQs” — https://www.votetexas.gov/faq/party-affiliation.html
• Texas Election Code § 85.005, “Regular Days and Hours for Voting”, via texas.public.law — https://texas.public.law/statutes/tex._election_code_section_85.005
• Texas Election Code § 85.006, “Voting on Saturday or Sunday”, via texas.public.law — https://texas.public.law/statutes/tex._election_code_section_85.006
• U.S. Vote Foundation, “Texas Voting Requirements & Information” — http://www.usvotefoundation.org/vote/sviddomestic.htm?submission=true&stateId=48&location=domestic&voting_information=Upcoming+Election+Dates+and+Deadlines
• Texas Law Help, “Voting in Texas: Tools and Tips” — https://texaslawhelp.org/article/voting-in-texas-tools-and-tips
• FOX 7 Austin, “More than 19 million Texans are registered to vote ahead of midterm election”, October 2026 — https://fox7austin.com/news/texas-midterm-election-registered-voters