Voted
We don't compare candidates. We make sure you can actually vote.
TVP's Election Prep toolkit doesn't rank candidates or take positions. It walks you through how registration and voting actually work, and what each office controls — so the choice in front of you makes sense.
How your ballot's levels of government actually work.
City & County
A county commissioner decides road maintenance, jail funding, and the county property tax rate. A city council member decides zoning, local ordinances, and the police and fire budget — closer to daily life than almost anything else on the ballot.
School District
A school board trustee approves the budget and bond measures, hires the superintendent, and sets attendance boundaries — not curriculum. Curriculum standards are set at the state level, by the State Board of Education.
State
A state legislator decides the state budget, school funding formulas, and most criminal law — the layer of government furthest from daily attention, closest to real power.
(The State Board of Education — the body that actually sets curriculum and adopts textbooks — is its own elected office most voter guides skip entirely.)
Adults under 25 are 20–30 percentage points less knowledgeable than older adults on basic questions — like which level of government handles what — a gap that explains roughly half of the turnout gap between young and older voters.
— Stockemer & Rocher, 2016, "Age, political knowledge and electoral turnout"
Texas voter resources.
Everything you need to vote in Texas this fall, straight from official and nonpartisan sources. Every link opens in a new tab.
See what's on your ballot.
Enter your address to see every race and candidate you'll vote on, where to vote, and what each office does.
Key Dates for Nov 3
Early voting runs Mon Oct 19 – Fri Oct 30. Election Day is Tue Nov 3. The last day to request a mail ballot is Fri Oct 23 (received, not postmarked).
See all Texas dates → RegistrationAm I Registered?
Look yourself up on the state's My Voter Portal to confirm your registration and the address on file.
Check my registration → WhereFind Your Polling Place
The same state portal shows your early voting and Election Day locations, usually starting a few days before voting opens.
Find where to vote → Voter IDWhat ID Do I Need?
Texas asks for one of seven photo IDs. No photo ID? You can still vote with a supporting document and a short form. VoteRiders helps for free: 866-432-8683.
See accepted IDs → By MailVote by Mail
In Texas, mail voting is limited — for example, voters 65 or older, voters with a disability, or voters away from their county. Check if you qualify and apply.
Mail voting rules → By MailTrack Your Mail Ballot
Already applied or mailed it back? Follow your application and ballot with the state's tracker.
Track my ballot → HelpProblem at the Polls?
Call the nonpartisan Election Protection hotline: 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683). Trained volunteers answer questions and take reports.
Texas voter help → AccessVoters With Disabilities
Curbside voting, accessible machines, and bringing someone to assist you are all your right. Disability Rights Texas hotline: 1-888-796-VOTE.
Know your options → LocalYour County Elections Office
Sample ballots, local hours, and mail ballot applications all come from your county. Find the phone, email and address for yours.
Find my county office → AwayMilitary & Overseas Voters
Serving or living abroad? Federal law protects your vote. Register and request your ballot with one form.
Go to FVAP → Next TimeRegister or Update
The deadline for November 3 was October 5 — but you can register or update your address now for the next election.
Register to vote → Your BallotAI Voter Tool
VoteMate is a free, nonpartisan AI assistant from a volunteer-run nonprofit. Enter your address to see your ballot, then ask questions in plain language — with sources you can check.
Try VoteMate → Your RepsGovvy
An iPhone app that shows who represents you, what they're voting on, and who funds their campaigns — and lets you contact them. Free to download.
Get Govvy →Dates are for the November 3, 2026 general election, from the Texas Secretary of State.
Help us raise $12,829 to unlock the full ballot tool — in Spanish.
Our ballot lookup is live, thanks to BallotReady. Now we want the most advanced version of the tool, with full Spanish-language support, so every Texas voter can compare candidates by their positions on the issues, not by party, in the language they're most comfortable with.
Support The FundKnow how to vote before you walk in.
Check Your RegistrationPick-A-Candidate Cornbread
Ingredients
- 2–6 candidates, room temperature
- Their stated positions on the issues
- A dash of endorsements
- A pinch of party affiliation
Instructions
- Compare the candidates.
- Pick the one whose ingredients match your taste.
- Season the cast-iron skillet — never explained
- Know why it has to be cast iron — never explained
- Vote.
Every recipe like this assumes you already know how the kitchen works — how to register, where your polling place is, what a county commissioner actually controls versus a state legislator. That's not a footnote. It's the whole first half of the recipe, and most guides skip straight to step one.
We start one step earlier.
- How to register and confirm you're on the rolls
- What each office actually has power over
- What to expect walking into the ballot box
- Then — and only then — the candidates (look up yours →)
Adults under 25 are 20–30 percentage points less likely to know which level of government handles what — a gap that explains roughly half the youth turnout gap. See the research behind this →