The March 3 primary election is coming up, and so is the deadline to register to vote. Eligible Texans must register by Feb. 2 to cast votes in dozens of races, including 18 statewide officials, 38 members of Congress, 166 state legislators and various local seats, such as county judges, justices of the peace and county commissioners.
Keep reading for information on how to register to vote and check your voter registration status, plus an overview of Texas’ primary election process and the seats up for election in March. To get to know the candidates on your local ballot, visit www.communityimpact.com/election.
The big picture
Texas holds primaries for partisan elected positions at the federal, state, regional and local levels. Republican and Democratic primary voters will have a say in which candidates will represent their chosen political party on the November ballot, shaping who is ultimately elected to each seat.
In recent years, no more than one-fourth of registered Texas voters have cast ballots in primary elections, data from the secretary of state’s office shows:
- In 2024, about 18.4% of registered Texans voted in primaries setting the stage for the presidency, one U.S. Senate seat and various other races.
- In 2022, about 17.6% of registered Texas voters cast ballots to nominate candidates for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and more.
- In 2020, about 25.3% of registered Texans cast primary ballots for the president, a U.S. senator and other positions.
- In 2018, about 17.2% of registered Texas voters weighed in during the primary elections for a variety of state and local positions.
In contrast, about 61.2% of registered Texas voters cast ballots in the November 2024 presidential election, with about 45.9% of those registered voting in the November 2022 gubernatorial election.
Registering to vote
Texans must submit a paper voter registration application by Feb. 2. The application is available here and must be printed, signed and mailed to the voter registration office in the voter’s county of residence. Texans can also contact or visit their local election office to register.
Mailed applications must be postmarked by Feb. 2, according to the secretary of state. Recent changes to the U.S. Postal Service’s rules mean that mail may be postmarked days after being dropped in a mailbox, Community Impact previously reported. To ensure that mail is postmarked on the day it is sent, customers can also take mail into their local post office and request that the item be hand-stamped for free, according to the USPS.
Texas does not allow online voter registration unless residents are updating, renewing or replacing a Texas driver’s license or ID card through the Department of Public Safety.
To be eligible to register to vote, an individual must:
- Be a U.S. citizen
- Reside in the county they apply to vote in
- Be at least 18 years old by election day
- Not have been declared mentally incapacitated without the right to vote by a court
Convicted felons generally are not eligible to vote, although Texans who complete their sentence, probation and parole may become eligible, per the secretary of state.
To check voter registration status, click here. Registered voters can update their address and other information online or contact their local voter registrar.
How it works
Primary election day is March 3. Registered voters do not need to be affiliated with a specific political party and may cast ballots in either Texas’ Republican or Democratic primary, but not both.
In each race, the candidate who receives more than 50% of the votes will advance to the Nov. 3 ballot. If no candidate receives enough votes in a primary race, a runoff election will be held between the two top vote-getters May 26. Candidates on the November ballot will face the winner of the opposing primary and possible third-party candidates.
On the ballot
All of Texas’ 150 state House seats are up for election in 2026, alongside 16 of Texas’ 31 state Senate seats. Eight of Texas’ 15 State Board of Education seats are also up for election.
Texas’ 38 congressional seats will also appear on the ballot. Many Texans may see new congressional representation in 2027, previous Community Impact reporting shows: several members of Texas’ congressional delegation are not seeking re-election, and 37 of the state’s 38 congressional districts were redrawn in 2025.
The new congressional boundaries will take effect in January 2027 and do not impact Texas’ current congressional districts.
The following statewide races will appear on all Texas voters’ ballots:
Various local races, including county commissioners, county judges and local justices of the peace, will appear on the ballot in some communities.
To get to know individual candidates on the primary ballots, visit www.communityimpact.com/election.
Something to note
Third-party candidates, including independents, Libertarian Party candidates and Green Party candidates, will not be listed on the primary ballots in March.
Independent candidates were required to submit paperwork declaring their intent to run for office by Dec. 8, and they have until June 25 to file a candidate application for the November election, according to the secretary of state’s office.
The Libertarian and Green parties will hold party-specific nominating conventions to determine who will run on their behalf in the midterm election, according to the secretary of state, and interested candidates were required to submit applications by Dec. 8. The Libertarian Party of Texas’ state convention is scheduled for April 10-12, while the Green Party of Texas will hold local nominating conventions in March and a state convention April 11.
Write-in candidates can file declarations to appear on the November ballot between July 18-Aug. 17.
Dates to know
More information about election dates is available at www.votetexas.gov.