Older Voters and Voter IDs

● For voters aged 70 or older, an acceptable form of identification may be an expired Drivers License for any length of time, if the identification is otherwise valid. 

● If you have or want to surrender your Texas Driver License and/or received a personal ID card from DPS, make sure you say that the information should be used for voter registration. When you do that the information is submitted to the Secretary of State and updated in the voter registration database. 

● The voter can confirm that this updated number has been applied to his or her voter registration record by logging in to the SOS portal with the new personal ID number. Secretary of State Voter Website

What if you don't have one of those IDs?

Here is a list of the supporting forms of ID that can be presented if the voter does not possess one of the forms of acceptable photo ID and cannot reasonably obtain one:

•  copy or original of a government document that shows the voter’s name and an address, including the voter’s voter registration certificate;
•  copy of or original current utility bill;
•  copy of or original bank statement;
•  copy of or original government check;
•  copy of or original paycheck; or
• copy of or original of (a) a certified domestic (from a U.S. state or territory) birth certificate or (b) a document confirming birth admissible in a court of law which establishes the voter’s identity (which may include a foreign birth document).

After presenting one of the forms of supporting ID listed above, the voter must complete a Reasonable Impediment Declaration.

Exemptions might apply. Find out more at VoteTexas.gov.

Have You Researched Your Ballot?

In the November General Election of 2024, races at the federal, state, jurisdiction, county, and local levels are all on the ballot. All three branches of government are included: executive, legislative, and judicial.


At the federal level are president and vice-president of the United States, one-third of all U.S. Senators (including one from Texas), and every member of the U.S. House of Representatives.

At the state level, some of the members of the Texas Senate and all members of the Texas House of Representatives, some of the justices on the Texas Supreme Court and the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.

Jurisdictional races include seats on each of the Courts of Appeal. State appeals courts are organized by multi-county regional jurisdictions. District courts' boundaries typically cross county boundaries.

County races on the ballot for Hays County voters include the Sheriff's Office, the Tax Assessor-Collector, two of the four County Commissioners, some of the Justices of the Peace for particular county precincts, and judges for some of the County Courts-at-Law.

Local races (non-county) include school district boards of trustees and city councils (if they did not choose a May local election date).

Every election matters. The character of the candidates matter.  Their plans and platform matter. When elected, their work affects the lives and future of those they serve.

Researching the candidates can help you evaluate them on whether he or she will be likely to advance policies and practices that will best serve their constituency in ways that most align with your beliefs and values. The League of Women Voters Voters Guides or the online version of the Voters Guide, Vote411 is a good place to start.

Other aids to research include videos of interviews and candidate forums or debates, and Ballotpedia.org, which often allows you to read articles in local publications about a candidate.

Vote411.org will be live by the first week of October for the November 5, 2024 General Election. By entering your address and choosing to see the races and candidates on your ballot, you can make a selection online for a particular race, then go to the next race and continue the process. At the end you can print out or email your list to yourself (or copy it down) to take with you to aid your memory while you vote.

Ballots can be long and often the candidates for what are known as "down-ballot" races do not receive enough donations to advertise, so voter may not have heard about them. But Vote411 can help you be prepared.

Or feel free to skip races where you do not know any candidate. When in doubt, skip that race.