Texas 2026 elections

Contests on the board in Texas

The general-election contests the Ledger tracks in Texas, each with the raters' current call, the newest public polling and the money reported.

Candidate profiles from Texas

TX-9 · Texas

Alex Mealer

Army bomb-disposal officer, Harvard-trained energy banker and 2022 Harris County judge nominee; Republican nominee for Texas's 9th District in 2026. Sourced.

Read Alex Mealer's recordThe race

TX-10 · Texas

Chris Gober

Austin election lawyer: counsel in the Cruz campaign-finance case, to Elon Musk’s America PAC and in Texas redistricting; Republican nominee for open TX-10.

Read Chris Gober's recordThe race

TX-38 · Texas

Jon Bonck

Houston mortgage banker, Second Baptist deacon and first-time candidate; Trump- and Cruz-endorsed Republican nominee for Texas's 38th District in 2026.

Read Jon Bonck's recordThe race

TX-SEN · Texas

Ken Paxton

Texas Attorney General since 2015 and the 2026 Republican nominee for U.S. Senate: his record in office, his legal history and his stated priorities.

Read Ken Paxton's recordThe race

TX-21 · Texas

Mark Teixeira

Former Rangers and Yankees first baseman, 2009 World Series champion and 2026 Republican nominee for Texas's 21st District: career, canvass, finances, plans.

Read Mark Teixeira's recordThe race

Key dates and deadlines

Read from the Texas Secretary of State on Sep 17, 2026. The authority's own page, linked beside each date, is the final word — confirm it before you act.

• Voter registration deadlineMonday, October 5, 2026. An application counts if it is postmarked by that date or received in the county voter registrar's office by that date. A voter registration application filled out online must still be printed and sent to the county voter registrar's office. votetexas.gov
• Ballots sent to military and overseas (FPCA) votersSaturday, September 19, 2026 — deadline for county election officials to mail or email ballots to military and overseas voters who applied with a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA); for an FPCA received after that date, the ballot goes out no later than the seventh calendar day after it is received. This date applies to FPCA voters only. sos.texas.gov
• Early voting in person beginsMonday, October 19, 2026 — first day of early voting by personal appearance. votetexas.gov
• Early voting in person endsFriday, October 30, 2026 — last day of early voting by personal appearance. votetexas.gov
• Deadline to apply for a ballot by mail (received, not postmarked)Friday, October 23, 2026. The Application for Ballot by Mail (ABBM) must be received — not just postmarked — by the early voting clerk in the county where you are registered, before the close of regular business or 12 noon, whichever is later. votetexas.gov
• Deadline to return a ballot by mail (received by)The early voting clerk must receive the ballot by 7:00 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, 2026, if the carrier envelope is not postmarked; or by 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 4, 2026 (the next business day), if the carrier envelope is postmarked by 7:00 p.m. on Election Day at the location of the election. Different deadlines apply to overseas and military voters. sos.texas.gov
• Election DayTuesday, November 3, 2026. sos.texas.gov
• Polling place hours on Election Day7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Election Day, November 3, 2026, at all polling places statewide. votetexas.gov

Official voting tools

These links go to the state's own tools. The Ledger does not collect registrations or ballots.

Rules to know

• What to bring

  Voters who have one of seven acceptable forms of photo ID must present it when voting in person: a Texas driver license, Texas Election Identification Certificate, Texas personal identification card or Texas handgun license issued by the Department of Public Safety (DPS); a U.S. military ID card with photo; a U.S. citizenship certificate with photo; or a U.S. passport. For voters aged 18–69 the ID may be expired no more than four years; for voters 70 or older, for any length of time. A voter who does not have one of these and cannot reasonably obtain one may show a supporting form of ID — such as a voter registration certificate, current utility bill, bank statement, government check or paycheck — and sign a Reasonable Impediment Declaration. A voter who has an acceptable ID but does not bring it may vote provisionally and has six days to show it to the county voter registrar. Read from: votetexas.gov

• Who may vote by mail and how to apply

  Voting by mail in Texas is limited to voters who are 65 or older on Election Day; sick or disabled; expecting to give birth within three weeks before or after Election Day; absent from their county of registration during the early voting period and on Election Day; civilly committed under Chapter 841 of the Texas Health and Safety Code; or confined in jail but otherwise eligible. To ask for a ballot, send an Application for Ballot by Mail (ABBM) to the early voting clerk in the county where you are registered — in person, by mail, by common or contract carrier, or by fax or email (if faxed or emailed, the application must also be mailed so that the clerk receives it no later than the fourth business day after the clerk received the fax or email). VoteTexas.gov says a voter who applies because of an expected absence may apply in person before the period of early voting in person begins (Monday, October 19, 2026). The ABBM must include your Texas driver license, Texas personal ID or Election Identification Certificate number or, if you have none of these, the last four digits of your Social Security number. Read from: votetexas.gov

• Early voting in person

  Any registered voter may vote early in person; no special qualification is required. From October 19 through October 30, 2026, you may vote at any early voting location in your county of registration. Hours vary by location. Early voting locations appear in the state's My Voter Portal two days before the first day of early voting, and the early voting clerk in your county can also provide them. Read from: votetexas.gov

• Track your ballot by mail

  After you send your ballot by mail to your county's early voting clerk, you can check its status in the Ballot by Mail Tracker on the Texas Secretary of State's My Voter Portal. To log in, enter your first and last name, your date of birth, the last four digits of your Social Security number, and your Texas driver license or DPS personal ID number. Read from: votetexas.gov

• Correcting a defect in a mail ballot application or carrier envelope

  If your Application for Ballot by Mail or your carrier envelope was rejected because the ID number was missing or did not match your voter registration record, you may correct the defect online through the Ballot by Mail Tracker. For other carrier-envelope defects — no signature, a signature mismatch, a missing Statement of Residence or incomplete witness information — complete the Corrective Action Form enclosed with the notice of defect and mail it back to the early voting clerk, or complete it in person at the clerk's office. You have until the 6th day after Election Day to correct the defect so that the ballot is counted. You may instead cancel the ballot by mail at an early voting or Election Day polling place and vote in person; without the mail ballot to surrender, the only option is a provisional ballot. Read from: votetexas.gov

• Voting after a felony conviction

  In Texas, a person convicted of a felony regains the right to vote after completing the sentence. Once the punishment phase is complete — including any term of incarceration, parole or supervision, or a period of probation ordered by the court — the person is eligible to register and vote in Texas. Read from: votetexas.gov

On the statewide ballot

Offices on the November 3, 2026 statewide ballot, per the Texas Secretary of State:

U.S. Senate · Governor · Lieutenant Governor · Attorney General · Comptroller of Public Accounts · Commissioner of the General Land Office · Commissioner of Agriculture · Railroad Commissioner · Chief Justice, Supreme Court · Justice, Supreme Court, Place 2 (unexpired term) · Justice, Supreme Court, Place 7 · Justice, Supreme Court, Place 8 · Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 3 · Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 4 · Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 9 · Chief Justice, 15th Court of Appeals District · Justice, 15th Court of Appeals District, Place 2 · Justice, 15th Court of Appeals District, Place 3

Questions and answers