Research / Voter Registration

Texas Voter Registration Analysis

Voter registration statistics, ID requirements, deadlines, and county-level data for March 2026

Statewide Registration Statistics

As of the March 2026 Primary Election, Texas recorded its highest voter registration totals in state history:

18.7M
Total Registered Voters
March 2026 Primary
1.23M
Suspense Voters
6.6% of total
17.4M
Active Voters
Non-suspense status
9,929
Total Precincts
Statewide
[1] Texas Secretary of State, "March 2026 Voter Registration Figures," April 2026
Suspense Status Explained

Voters are placed on "suspense" status when mail sent by the county voter registrar is returned as undeliverable, the voter fails to respond to address confirmation notices, or the voter's residence address cannot be verified. Suspense voters remain eligible to vote but must verify their current residence address before voting.

Major County Breakdowns

County Precincts Total Registered Suspense Active Suspense Rate
Harris 1,166 2,702,952 198,369 2,504,583 7.34%
Dallas 792 1,463,708 129,015 1,334,693 8.81%
Tarrant 708 1,306,427 73,067 1,233,360 5.59%
Bexar 807 1,293,128 64,001 1,229,127 4.95%
Travis 309 920,645 71,004 849,641 7.71%
Collin 274 752,502 55,975 696,527 7.44%
Denton 155 644,341 55,744 588,597 8.65%
Fort Bend 295 567,664 43,375 524,289 7.64%
Williamson 177 455,181 36,050 419,131 7.92%
Hidalgo 260 451,612 18,752 432,860 4.15%
[2] Texas Secretary of State, "March 2026 Voter Registration Figures," county-level breakdown

Voter Identification Requirements

Acceptable Photo ID (List A)

Under Texas Election Code Section 63.0101(a), voters must present one of seven acceptable forms of photo identification:

1 Texas Driver License (issued by DPS)
2 Texas Election Identification Certificate (issued by DPS)
3 Texas Personal Identification Card (issued by DPS)
4 Texas License to Carry a Handgun (issued by DPS)
5 United States Military Identification Card (with photograph)
6 United States Citizenship Certificate (with photograph)
7 United States Passport (book or card)

Expiration Rules

Age Group Expiration Tolerance
Ages 18-69 ID may be expired up to 4 years
Age 70+ ID may be expired for any length of time if otherwise valid
All Ages U.S. Citizenship Certificate never expires
Address Matching: Election officers CANNOT reject identification solely because the address on the ID does not match the address on the voter registration list. The ID is used only for identity verification, not residence verification.
[3] Texas Election Code §63.0101; Texas Secretary of State, "Acceptable Forms of Identification"

Reasonable Impediment Declaration (RID)

Voters who do not possess and cannot reasonably obtain an acceptable photo ID may still vote by presenting a supporting form of ID and completing a Reasonable Impediment Declaration.

Supporting Documentation (List B)

  • Voter registration certificate
  • Current utility bill
  • Bank statement
  • Government check
  • Paycheck
  • Certified domestic birth certificate
  • Other government document showing voter's name and address

Reasonable Impediments

Voters may declare one of the following impediments (per Section 63.001(i)):

  1. Lack of transportation
  2. Disability or illness
  3. Lack of birth certificate or documents needed to obtain ID
  4. Work schedule
  5. Family responsibilities
  6. Lost or stolen identification
  7. Photo ID applied for but not received
[4] Tex. Elec. Code §63.001(i); SOS "Voter Identification Requirements and Resources," October 2025

Registration Deadlines

Election Registration Deadline Early Voting
May 2, 2026 (Uniform) April 2, 2026 April 20-28, 2026
May 26, 2026 (Primary Runoff) April 27, 2026 May 12-20, 2026

General rule: Registration must be completed 30 days before Election Day. Applications must be received by the county voter registrar by the deadline (not postmarked).

Provisional Voting

If a voter lacks both acceptable photo ID and supporting documentation with RID, they may cast a provisional ballot. To have the ballot counted, the voter must appear at the county voter registrar's office within six calendar days after Election Day and present acceptable documentation or qualify for an exemption.

[5] Texas Secretary of State, "Voter Identification Requirements and Resources"

2026 Primary Turnout Records

The March 2026 Primary Election set records for midterm primary participation in Texas:

4.35M
Total Votes Cast
144% of 2022 primary
53%
Early Voting Share
2.3M votes
2.2M
Democratic Votes
1.2M early + 981K ED
2.15M
Republican Votes
1.08M early + 1.07M ED
Historical Note: Democrats led early voting statewide by 133,000 votes—the first time Democrats led Republican early voting in a midterm primary since at least 2010. The competitive Crockett vs. Talarico Senate race is widely credited with driving the Democratic surge.
[6] TexPolls, "2026 Texas Primary Turnout Results & Voting Data," March 2026

Legal Framework

Code Section Subject
Tex. Elec. Code §63.001 Regular Procedure for Accepting Voter
Tex. Elec. Code §63.0101 Documentation of Proof of Identification
Tex. Elec. Code §63.011 Provisional Voting
Tex. Elec. Code §63.0011 Statement of Residence Required
Tex. Elec. Code §63.0015 Accepting Voters with Certain Disabilities

Amendment History

  • 2011 (SB 14, 82nd Leg.): Original photo ID requirement (effective January 1, 2012)
  • 2017 (SB 5, 85th Leg.): Added Reasonable Impediment Declaration process (effective January 1, 2018)
  • 2021 (HB 368, 87th Leg.): Technical amendments to identification provisions
[7] Texas Election Code §63.0101 Amendment History; Texas Legislature Online