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General Election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026
How & When
How & When
To Vote
Three dates, three ways to vote, and one page of judicial races that most ballots bury. Here is everything you need — with every fact linked back to the county or the State of Texas.
Dates
Put these three on your calendar
Oct 5
Register by
Monday, October 5, 2026 is the last day to register to vote in the November 3 general election. Texas has no same-day registration — miss this and you cannot vote in this election.
Register or update your address
Oct 19–30
Early voting
Early voting runs Monday, October 19, 2026 through Friday, October 30, 2026. In Texas you may vote early at any early-voting location in your county — not just the one near your home.
County early-voting locations
Nov 3
Election Day
Tuesday, November 3, 2026, polls open 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. If you are in line at 7:00 p.m., stay in line — you are entitled to vote.
Find your Election Day polling placeLocations for November 2026 are not published yet
Fort Bend County confirms its early-voting and Election Day locations in the weeks before the election. We deliberately do not reprint them here — a stale polling location is worse than none. Check Fort Bend County Elections for the official list, or join our list and we will send it the day it drops.
Step by step
Four steps, start to finish
Decide how you will vote
Early, in person — the easiest option, at any early-voting site in Fort Bend County, Monday, October 19, 2026 to Friday, October 30, 2026. Election Day — Tuesday, November 3, 2026 at your assigned polling place. By mail — only if you are 65 or older, disabled, out of the county during the whole voting period, confined in jail but eligible, or expecting to give birth near Election Day. Mail applications must be received by the county, and the deadline is well before Election Day — check the county’s dates.
Bring an accepted photo ID
Texas accepts seven forms of photo ID, including a Texas driver licence, a Texas Election Identification Certificate, a Texas handgun licence, a U.S. passport, a U.S. military ID, a U.S. citizenship certificate with photo, and a Texas personal identification card. If you cannot reasonably obtain one, you can still vote by signing a Reasonable Impediment Declaration and showing a supporting document. Full ID rules at VoteTexas.gov.
Vote the whole ballot — including the judges
The judicial races are below the offices everyone recognises, and they are where ballots go blank. Bring notes: Texas voters are allowed to carry written material, including a printed list, into the voting booth.
Good to know
Questions we get every cycle
Can I vote at any location?
During early voting, yes — any early-voting location in Fort Bend County. On Election Day, check the county’s list: Texas counties may run either assigned precinct polling places or countywide voting centres, and Fort Bend publishes which applies each election.
Do I have to vote in every race?
No. You can vote in as many or as few races as you like and your ballot still counts. But skipping the judicial races means handing those seats to whoever else showed up — and those are the judges most likely to decide something about your life.
Can I bring a list into the booth?
Yes. Texas voters may bring written notes — including a printed slate or a phone — into the voting booth for their own use. You may not use it to campaign or to influence other voters inside the polling place. That is exactly what the ballot guide is for.
There is no straight-ticket option any more — what changed?
Texas eliminated straight-party voting starting with the 2020 general election. Every race must now be marked individually, all the way down the ballot. That change is the single biggest reason a judicial slate guide matters: the box that used to fill these races in for you does not exist.
Something went wrong at my polling place. Who do I call?
Ask for the presiding election judge at the location first — most problems are resolved on the spot. For anything unresolved, contact Fort Bend County Elections. The national nonpartisan Election Protection hotline is 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683).
Official sources
Trust the county, not a flyer
Including this one. Everything on this page is linked to Fort Bend County or the State of Texas so you can verify it yourself.