TEXAS IS HOLDING THE FIRST ELECTION OF 2022--MAKE SURE YOUR VOICE IS HEARD!
What elections are there in Texas? What am I voting for?
Texas will hold a Democratic Primary on March 1 for U.S. Representatives as well as for statewide offices like Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, State Representatives, and State Senators. The winners of these Democratic primary races will go up against the Republicans in the November 2022 General Election.
Learn more about who's running here: Statewide Democratic Candidates Who Have Filed to Run in the 2022 Democratic Primary
And you may also be able to vote to choose the Democratic candidates for Governor, Lt Governor, other state offices, and your representatives to the Texas state legislature. It depends on the category you choose when you register to vote and request your ballot:
- If you "intend to return": You are eligible to vote in Texas state elections.
You don't have to have a set date of return and it doesn't have to be within a set time frame, but you do need to have an intention to return at some time in the future. - If your “return is uncertain”: You won’t be eligible to vote in Texas state elections, but you can still vote in the federal election for the US House.
State elections are hugely important! State government is responsible for voting and state policies regarding climate change, education, health insurance, net neutrality, student loans, and more affect us no matter where we go around the world.
1) Register to Vote and Request Your Ballot Today
It's easy to request your ballot. And your ballot request covers all elections in 2022, so send the form in now and ensure your ballot for the Primary Runoff (if necessary) and for the November 8th General election.
Go to www.votefromabroad.org and follow the prompts to fill out the form to request your ballot, the Federal Post Card Application form (FPCA). (If needed, it will also serve as a voter registration.) To ensure you receive your ballot in time, please check the box on the FPCA to have your blank ballot sent to you by “Email/Online” or “Fax”.
You can send in your FPCA to your local election office in Texas by email (recommended) or mail.
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If you are registered to vote, you MUST still send in an FPCA to request your ballot in 2022 to vote in this election and it must be received by February 18, 2022.
- If you are NOT registered to vote, you will receive a federal ballot only but your FPCA must be received by February 18, 2022.
2) When You Get Your Ballot, Fill It Out and Mail It Back Right Away
Ballots started going out on January 15, 2022. If you asked for your ballot by email and haven't received it yet, be sure to check your spam folder and any secondary inboxes.
When you get your ballot, fill it out and mail it back away. It must be postmarked no later than March 1, 2022 AND it also must be received in Texas by March 7, 2022.
Special Deadline: Fax ballot return is available to members of the military and their family members who are in hostile fire pay, imminent danger pay or combat zones. Ballots sent by fax must be received by March 1, 2022 at 7:00pm Texas time.
If you have questions about how to return your ballot, we've prepared these Texas Ballot Return Instructions.
Remember, however, that your Local Election Official in Texas determines whether to accept your ballot, that office is the final authority. If you have any questions or see any discrepancies, please be sure to call or email your Local Election Official. You can find the contact information at: www.votefromabroad.org/states/tx (Scroll down to "Find Your Election Office").
3) If You Don't Have Your Ballot Yet, Mail in a Backup Ballot
If you haven't received your ballot yet, we recommend you mail in a Backup Ballot (the Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot, or FWAB). It’s only for overseas voters and protects your right to vote in case your official ballot doesn't arrive in time. For detailed information how to use the Backup Ballot, please go to www.votefromabroad.org/fwab
When you use the Backup Ballot for the Texas Primary, the website will indicate the candidates for US House in your Congressional District.
And if you are eligible to vote in state elections, you may use the Backup Ballot as well. There are several state offices on the ballot including:
Governor, Lt Governor, Attorney General, Comptroller, Commissioner of Agriculture, Land Commissioner, Railroad Commission, 3 seats on the Texas Supreme Court, 3 seats on the Court of Criminal Appeals, State Senate, and State House.
You can use this website to find the candidates in your jurisdiction: https://ballotpedia.org/Sample_Ballot_Lookup
Then write in the office and your choice in the "Write in Candidates" block of the Backup Ballot. Please remember, this is a Primary election, so you must write in the candidate's name, not just the political party:
4) Confirm That Your Ballot Was Accepted and Counted
After you send in your ballot, make sure your vote is counted!
Check your ballot status online using this website: https://webservices.sos.state.tx.us/FPCA/index.aspx
Or, email or call your local election office. You can find the contact information at: www.votefromabroad.org/states/tx; scroll down to "Find Your Election Office"
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