When does early voting start in Texas? Important 2026 election dates for voters
AUSTIN, Texas - Republicans and Democrats will head to the polls in just under two weeks to vote on who will represent their respective parties in the November general election.
Important dates from the March 3 primary elections
- Feb. 17 – Early voting begins for the March 3 primary
- Feb. 20 – The last day to apply for a ballot by mail. Mail ballots must be returned by March 3 at 7 p.m. if carrier envelope is not postmarked. Mail ballots can be returned by 5 p.m. on March 4 as long as carrier envelope is postmarked by 7 p.m. on March 3.
- Feb. 27 – Last day of early voting
- March 3 – Election Day
What is a primary?
The primary election will be held on March 3. Primaries are elections that political parties use to determine which candidates will represent that party. The winning candidate will then face off against the winning candidate from the other party in the November general election.
A candidate must have more than half of the votes to be declared the winner. If no candidates get a majority of the votes in a race, then the top two vote-getters will face each other in a run-off election on May 26.
Voters are not required to register with a party to vote in a primary election, but can only vote in one party's primary election. Voters will only be able to vote in that party's subsequent run-off election.
Primary runoff elections
A runoff election occurs when no candidate gets more than 50% of the vote. Runoff elections occur between the two highest vote-getters. Should a primary election head to a runoff, these are the dates you need to know:
- April 27 – Last day to register to vote
- May 15 – Last day to apply for a mail ballot
- May 18 – First day of early voting
- May 22 – Last day of early voting
- May 26 – Election Day
Texas voting guide: What to know ahead of the 2026 primary election
Texas primary elections are set for March and Democrats and Republicans will have a chance to decide which candidates they want on the November general election ballot.
November general election
- Oct. 5 – Last day to register to vote
- Oct. 19 – First day of early voting
- Oct. 23 – Last day to apply for a mail ballot
- Oct. 30 – Last day of early voting
- Nov. 3 – Election Day
For more information on how to check your voter registration, how to find your polling place and what's on the ballot, check out our primary voting guide: here.
The Source: Information in this article comes from the Texas Secretary of State's Office.