Plan Your Vote SA Elections

How to Vote by Mail

For the March 3rd, 2026 Election, the last day your ABBM can be received by your Early Voting Clerk is February 20th

Process for applying for a Ballot by Mail

You can get a formal application for a ballot by mail (ABBM) from:

To vote by mail, you must provide ONE of the following numbers on your ABBM:

Texas Driver’s License

Texas Personal Identification Number

Election Identification Certificate Number issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety

OR, if you have not been issued one of the numbers above,

the last 4 digits of your Social Security Number

If you have not been issued a Texas Driver’s License, Texas Personal Identification Number or Texas Election Identification Certificate Number or a Social Security Number, you must indicate so by checking the appropriate box on the ABBM.

If you are voting by mail because you are disabled or are 65 years of age or older, you may use a single application to request ballots by mail for all county elections in the calendar year. You will see this option under Section 4 of the ABBM, “Send me a Ballot for the Following Elections:” in which you can select each election for which you wish to receive a ballot by mail. While you can submit this “annual” application anytime during the calendar year, it must be received at least 11 days before the first election in which you seek to request a ballot by mail.

You can write your own application for a ballot by mail, as long as it is in writing and includes:

The Applicant’s Name

The Applicant’s Address

The number of the applicant’s driver’s license or personal identification card issued by DPS

or if applicant has not been issued one of those numbers, the last four digits of the applicant’s social security number, or a statement that the application has not been issued either of those numbers; 

The address at which the applicant is registered

The address to which ballot is to be mailed, if different and if authorized by law (see below)

A valid ground for voting by mail;

For the March 3rd, 2026 Election, the last day your ABBM can be received by your Early Voting Clerk is February 20th, 2026.

Applications to vote by mail must be submitted in person or by mail, common or contract carrier, email or fax. If you fax or e-mail your application to the Early Voting Clerk, you must also mail the application so that the Clerk receives it no later than the fourth business day after the day the Clerk received your faxed or emailed application. If you fax or e-mail your application by the deadline noted below, your application will be considered complete and timely as long as the original is received by the early voting clerk by the fourth business day after it was submitted by fax or e-mail.

You may send in your application for a ballot by mail to the Early Voting Clerk by:

Track Your Mail Ballot

Vote By Mail Instructions

Please complete and return your application no later than 11 days prior to the election for which the ballot is being requested.

Any ABBM sent to the Elections Department is required to have an original hand signature to be kept on file.
 
Electronic signatures CAN NOT be accepted. 

Additionally, the Federal Postcard Application (FPCA) is applicable for military and overseas voters. These voters will not use the ABBM forms. The FPCA can be found on FVAP.gov.

1.) Print and Complete an Application

Please print and fill out the following application:

  • The process of voting and returning your mail ballot, make sure to follow the steps below:
    • Use BLACK or BLUE ink to mark your choices on the ballot;
    • Place voted ballot in the Ballot Envelope and seal it;
    • Place Ballot Envelope in the enclosed pre-addressed County Clerk carrier envelope;
    • Seal carrier envelope and sign where indicated exactly as you signed the ballot by mail request;
    • Place appropriate postage and return it;
2.) Return Your Completed Application

Bexar County Elections (Early Voting Clerk)
1103 S. Frio St., Suite 200
San Antonio, TX 78207-6328

Please complete and return your application no later than 11 days prior to the election for which a ballot is requested.

A completed mail ballot MUST be returned to the Bexar County Elections Department in the Official Carrier Envelope provided to you. It may be returned in any of the following manners:

  • Regular residential mail via United States Postal Service;
    • Ballot must be postmarked by 7:00 p.m. on Election Day and must be received by 5:00 p.m. on the day after Election Day
  • In-person drop off at Bexar County Elections Department (1103 S. Frio, San Antonio, TX 78207)
    • During regular business hours,
    • During The Hours of Early Voting  
    • On Election Day from 7 am – 7 pm.
    • You must present an acceptable form of photo identification
    • If a voter does not possess and cannot reasonably obtain an acceptable form of photo identification, the voter may show a List B identification and complete a reasonable impediment declaration (RID)
    • Only the voter may deliver their ballot in person
  • Common or contract carrier; such as personal courier, or FedEx or UPS, or other contracted mail service
    • Ballot must be received by 7:00 p.m. on Election Day
    • If the carrier provides receipt mark indicating a time before 7:00 p.m. on Election Day, it may be received by 5:00 p.m. on the day after Election Day
3.) Complete and Send in Your Ballot

Bexar County Elections will send you an absentee ballot in the mail. The Early Voting Clerk must receive your marked ballot by 7:00 PM on Election Day.

*PLEASE NOTE: A voted ballot postmarked by Election Day must be received by the early voting clerk no later than 5:00 pm on the next business day after Election Day. If there is no postmarked, early voting clerk must receive these ballots by 7:00 pm on Election Day. Ballots from civilians abroad must be received by the early voting clerk no later than the 5th day after Election Day. Ballots from Military voters must be received by the early voting clerk no later than the 6th day after Election Day

Alternatively, it can be downloaded, completed by hand, and mailed to:

Early Voting Clerk
1103 S. Frio, Suite 200
San Antonio, Texas 78207-6328

Are you Sick or Disabled?

  • All mail ballot requests are reviewed to ensure compliance with the Texas Election Code. A voter who requests a mail ballot on the grounds of disability will be accepted as eligible for a mail ballot. Our office has no legal authority to administratively require voters to substantiate their disability at the time the application is submitted.
  • A voter can take into consideration aspects of their health and their health history that are physical conditions in deciding whether, under the circumstances, to apply to vote by mail because of disability.
  • The voter does not have to declare the nature of the underlying disability. The elected officials [the Legislature] have placed in the hands of the voter the determination of whether in-person voting will cause a likelihood of injury to a physical condition.
  • State law defines a disability as a “sickness or physical condition that prevents the voter from appearing at the polling place on Election Day without a likelihood of needing personal assistance or of injuring the voter’s health.
  • Under Texas law, you qualify as having a disability if you are sick, pregnant, or if voting in person will create a likelihood of injury to your health. 
  • The Texas Supreme Court has ruled that lack of immunity to COVID-19 can be considered as a factor in your decision as to whether voting in person will create a likelihood of injury to your health, but it cannot be the only factor. You do not qualify to vote by mail as “disabled” if you have a fear of contracting COVID-19 but are otherwise healthy. To qualify, you must have an accompanying physical condition. If you do not qualify as “disabled,” you may still qualify in one of the other categories (1-3 above).

Additional Resources