Texas Voter Registration Application

Texas Voter Registration Application: To apply to register to vote requires those registering to
•   check a box affirming that you are a U.S. citizen, and further affirm you are, or will be, 18 years of age or older on Election Day.
•   include a Texas Drivers License number or
•   a Voter I.D. number

If you don't have one
•   enter the last four digits of your social security number.

Tip: Including both your Texas Drivers License number and the last four digits of your social security number when you apply to register to vote makes it easier if you ever apply to vote by mail.

If you don't have a social security number, you can mark that.

If you do not have a Texas driver's license, Voter I.D., or a social security number, you will be required to present identification when you vote in person or enclose a copy of such identification with your ballot if you vote by mail.

If later on you apply to vote by mail and don't remember whether you applied using the last four digits of your social security number or your drivers license number, and you include only the ID that you did not use in registering, your application will be rejected – unless you happened to fill in both sets of information.

Start with a Birth Certificate (or Equivalent):

While other I.D. is allowable at the polls, those each require documentation such as a Texas Drivers License or Voter I.D. (Election Identification Certificate) to get.

The birth certificate is the starting point for native born Texans and other natural born U.S. citizens. Apply for a copy of your birth certificate with the Texas Bureau of Vital Statistics (or your birth state). You will need a drivers license number and an audit number from the drivers license to apply, but it can be the TDL number of a parent, sibling, or other close relative. The person ordering the birth certificate on your behalf affirms the city, county, and date of birth. Currently the fee to order a copy of your birth certificate is $22.

A birth certificate is now required before you can get a drivers license in Texas, so it is unlikely that you can enter your own unless your Texas Drivers License predated the current requirement. However, when renewing your drivers license in person, you will be required to show your birth certificate (or equivalent document) then.

If born in another state, you will need a certified original or copy of that state's (or U.S. territory's) birth certificate. Or a foreign birth document or other document confirming birth admissible in a court of law which establishes the voter’s identity can be used.

The Texas Drivers License and the Election Identification Certificate each costs $16 at this time.

Two Exceptions to Required Photo I.D.

Voters who have

•   a consistent religious objection to being photographed or
•   who do not present an acceptable form of photo identification listed above or follow the Reasonable Impediment Declaration procedure because of certain natural disasters as declared by the President of the United States or the Texas Governor,

…may vote a provisional ballot, appear at the voter registrar’s office within six (6) calendar days after election day, and sign an affidavit swearing to the religious objection or natural disaster, in order for the voter’s ballot to be counted. Please contact the Hays County Elections Office  for more details.