The deadline to register to vote in the Texas primary election is Feb. 5, and the deadline for mail-in absentee voting is Feb. 23.
On Tuesday, March 5, Texas voters will elect Republican and Democratic primary candidates for federal, state, and local offices, the Presidency, a U.S. Senator, U.S. Texas Representatives, and various judicial and state seats. Winners of these primary elections will become nominees for their respective parties and will run against one another in November’s general election.
How to register to vote
To register to vote in Dallas County, students should fill out this form, print it out, and mail it to the Dallas County Operations Facility at 1520 Round Table Drive, Dallas, TX 75247. Additionally, students can go to this office during the week between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. to fill out an application.
Voters must be 18 by Election Day and must live where they are registered to vote. SMU students can register using their current address or their home address.
How to register for absentee voting
In Texas, mail-in absentee voting is available for college students who live outside of their home county. This is also an option for out-of-state students from states like California or New York, according to their secretary of states’ websites.
The absentee voting application is available at Vote.org. Follow this link and fill out the attached form online. The form needs to be signed and mailed to the address on the cover page to apply.
Where to vote in-person
In-person voting locations are scattered throughout Dallas. Early voting in the primaries begins Feb. 20 and goes until March 1, according to the Dallas County voting website. Polling locations are also open on March 5. The official election day voting locations are located on the Dallas County voting website at this link. Those locations will be available on Feb. 5.
Polling locations are open for early voting from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Feb. 20 through 23, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Feb. 24, 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Feb. 25, and from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. from Feb. 26 through March 1. Polling locations are open on March 5 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day.
