Texans have until Monday, Oct. 5, to register for the Nov. 3 election, a statewide deadline that arrives four weeks before voters choose federal, state and local officeholders. The secretary of state's election calendar says the date was moved to Monday because the usual 30th-day deadline falls on Sunday, Oct. 4.

Registration in Texas is administered by county voter registrars. Eligible residents may begin an application through the state's registration page, but they should not treat starting the online form as confirmation that they are registered. The same page directs voters to the statewide status lookup and county registrar contacts, where applicants can verify that a record is active and tied to the correct county.

The deadline also matters for voters who have moved. Texans who changed addresses within the state can submit an online registration update, while people who moved to a new county must register in that county. The state calendar says a voter who misses the address-change deadline but remains in the same county may still qualify for fail-safe voting in the former precinct under specified conditions. A voter who moved counties may instead be eligible for a limited ballot, but only during early voting and at the main early-voting location or by mail.

Mail timing deserves particular attention this year. The secretary of state's registration guidance warns that U.S. Postal Service operating changes mean some pieces may not receive a postmark on the day they are deposited. It recommends applying early and says voters who need certainty can request a free manual postmark at a USPS retail counter.

After registration closes, the state's published schedule sets Oct. 19 as the first day of in-person early voting and Oct. 30 as the last. The deadline for an eligible voter to apply for a mail ballot is Oct. 23. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Voting by mail remains limited to voters who meet Texas eligibility rules, including certain older, disabled, absent, military and overseas voters. The state's mail guide says applications generally must reach the early-voting clerk by the 11th day before Election Day. It also requires applicants to supply a Texas driver-license, personal-identification or election-identification number, or the last four digits of a Social Security number when applicable.

The practical sequence is straightforward: submit or update registration before Oct. 5, verify the record through the state lookup, and then confirm county-specific polling and ballot information closer to voting. Residents using the mail should allow extra time both for registration documents and, if eligible, for a ballot application.

The deadlines govern participation across Texas, but ballot contents vary by residence. Voters will receive the federal, state, district, county and local contests that apply to their registered address. Confirming the address now reduces the chance that a move or outdated record complicates voting once the early-voting period begins.