Voting
Voting is a civic action that people with disabilities can participate in through the use of accessible polling stations. This section outlines Texas statutes about voting that apply to people with disabilities. Nothing on this page is intended to be used as legal advice.
On This Page:
Accessibility of Polling Stations
TAS Compliance Texas Election Code, Section 43.034
Accessible Polling Station Texas Election Code, Section 61.012
Accessibility Exemptions Texas Election Code, Section 61.013
- Requires polling places and precinct conventions to comply with the Texas Accessibility Standards.
- Mandates that each polling place must provide at least one voting station that provides a practical and effective means for voters with physical disabilities to cast a secret ballot. Exemptions are made for subdivision elections when a federal office is not on the ballot if they meet the criteria outlined by statute.
Voting Accommodations
Voting Assistance (Texas Election Code, Sections 64.031 - 64.037)
Interpreters (Texas Election Code, Sections 61.031 - 61.036)
Curbside Voting (Texas Election Code, Section 64.009)
Early Voting (Texas Election Code, Section 86.0015)
Voter Registration Exemptions for Identification (Texas Election Code, Section13.002)
- Allows assistance in marking or reading the ballot if they have a physical disability that renders the voter unable to write or see. In a general election, assistance must be provided by two election officers aligned with different political parties if available. The voter may request to be assisted by any person selected by the voter other than the voter's employer, an agent of the voter's employer, or an agent of a labor union to which the voter belongs.
- Requires the person who is assisting the voter to read the whole ballot to the voter or only the parts that the voter expresses a desire to vote upon.
- Allows the use of sign language interpreters or language interpreters for voters who cannot communicate in English.
- Allows an election officer to appoint an interpreter if the voter has not selected an interpreter. An appointed interpreter must be a registered voter of the county in which the voter needing the interpreter resides or an adjacent county.
- Provides for ballots to be brought to the curb, or polling place entrance, if the voter cannot enter the polling place.
- Allows annual ballots to be voted by mail only if a voter's application indicates that they are eligible due to age or disability.
- Allows for a citizen with a disability to register to vote without presenting a valid form of identification if the citizen presents two items:
- A disability determination letter from the Social Security Administration or the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs showing that the applicant has a disability rating of at least 50 percent.
- A statement in a form prescribed by the secretary of state that the applicant does not have a form of identification.
Contact
Texas Secretary of State
1-800-252-8683 or 512-463-5650
Voter Information
Election Complaints
Services Available to Voters with Special Needs
Resources
U.S. Department of Justice
Civil Rights Division, Voting Section
202-307-2767 or 800-253-3931
voting.section@usdoj.gov