Absentee Voting

Who can use the Federal Postcard Application (FPCA) and why?

•  Active duty military, spouses, and dependents (voting from outside the home Texas county)
•  U. S. Citizens (nonmilitary) temporarily overseas* away from the home Texas county
•  U. S. Citizens (nonmilitary) permanently overseas* away from the (previous) home Texas county
* Federal law defines “overseas” as anywhere outside the United States. If you are not one of these voters, you need the regular early voting by mail application.
FPCA Application Information
FPCA Application Form

You are eligible to vote early by mail if you are a registered voter who is:
• 65 years of age or older
• Out of the county during the entire election including early voting (Must provide an out of county address and the date to begin and the ending date of receiving mail at this address. This application is only good for one election and runoff.)
• Disabled
• Confined in jail, but eligible to vote. (This application is only good for one election and runoff.)

Election Advisory No.2018-09 – Laws and Procedures for Annual and Regular ABBMs

To vote by mail, you must first apply for a ballot. The Dallas County Elections office does not send out applications or ballots without a specific request from the voter. We must receive your application no later than the close of business 11 days before election day for both regular and FPCA applications (per H.B. 1927 law effective 9/1/2015). If the deadline falls on a weekend, the last day to submit an application is the preceding Friday. If the deadline falls on a state or federal holiday, the ballot must be received on the preceding business day.

An individual wanting to apply for ballot by mail must download and fill out Application for Ballot by Mail,  ABBM .

By Mail through the United States Postal Service; OR, By Common or Contract Carrier (e.g., a mail or courier service provided by a private business, not the U.S. Postal Service). For more information on this delivery method, see “Special Rules for Delivery by Common and Contract Carriers,” below.); OR In person by the voter on Election Day, at the early voting clerk’s office. The voter will be asked to present an acceptable form of photo ID listed in Section 63.0101(a) of the Texas Election Code. If the voter does not possess and cannot reasonably obtain an acceptable form of photo ID, the voter can execute a Reasonable Impediment Declaration and provide a supporting form of identification listed in Section 63.0101(b) of the Texas Election Code. Also, if the voter has a Voter Registration Certificate containing the Disability Exemption (E) notation, the voter may present it. The voter will also be asked to sign a signature roster.

Once a voter has filled out their ballot, they can deliver by mail, postage paid; common contract carrier or hand delivered to the address listed below:
Michael J Scarpello- Early Voting Clerk
Dallas County Elections Department
1520 Round Table Drive
Dallas, Texas 75247

By Mail through the United States Postal Service; By Common or Contract Carrier (e.g., a mail or courier service provided by a private business, not the U.S. Postal Service).
SPECIAL RULES for Delivery by COMMON AND CONTRACT CARRIERS (§§ 81.005 and 86.006, Texas Election Code)
1. If you use a common or contract carrier to return your ballot, the carrier must be a business whose primary service is transporting or delivering items.
2. If you return your carrier envelope by common or contract carrier, your carrier envelope must be accompanied by a delivery receipt when delivered to the early voting clerk. The receipt must indicate the name and address of the person who delivered the carrier-envelope to the common or contract carrier, and the date, hour, and address where the carrier-envelope was received by the common or contract carrier.
3. Your ballot will not be counted if it is picked up by a common or contract carrier at an office of a political party or candidate in the election, office for a specific purpose or general-purpose political committee involved in the election, an entity that requested the election be held (unless the delivery is a forwarding to the early voting clerk), or a candidate’s house unless the address of the candidate is your address. If you have any questions about returning your carrier envelope, please contact the early voting clerk’s office at (214) 819-6359. If you feel that your voting rights have been violated or abused, you may report these incidents to the Secretary of State toll-free at 1-800-252-VOTE(8683) or elections@sos.texas.gov.

A ballot that is mailed or delivered by common or contract carrier but does not have a postmark or delivery receipt must be
received by the early voting clerk by 7:00 pm on Election Day.
A ballot that is mailed or delivered by mail or common or contract carrier from within the United States and is postmarked or
accompanied by a delivery receipt showing the voter submitted the ballot for delivery by 7:00 pm on Election Day must arrive by 5:00 pm on the next business day after Election Day. A ballot that is hand-delivered must be received by the early voting clerk by 7:00 pm on Election Day.
A ballot that is mailed from overseas and is postmarked or accompanied by a delivery receipt showing the voter submitted
the ballot for delivery by 7:00 pm on Election Day must arrive by 5:00 pm on the 5th day after Election Day (or the next
business day after the 5th day after Election Day, if the 5th day falls on a weekend or holiday).

The first day for the Election’s Office to receive an Annual Regular or FPCA Ballot by Mail Application for all 2021 Elections is:
January 1, 2021
Regular Application for Ballot by Mail – FPCA Application for Ballot by Mail

Mail your application for a ballot to:
OR
If you choose to use a contract carrier, applications can be delivered to:
Michael J Scarpello- Early Voting Clerk
Dallas County Elections
1520 Round Table Drive
Dallas, Texas 75247

Fax your application for a ballot to:
Fax: (214)819-6303

Email your application for a ballot to:
(Must be a scanned application that contains the voter’s original signature)
evapplications@dallascounty.org

Effective December 1, 2017: SB 5- Section 84.007, of the Election Code, states the following regarding a Ballot by Mail Application that is submitted via fax or email to our office:

If you are faxing or emailing your Application for Ballot by Mail, please note: The original application (hard copy) MUST ALSO BE submitted by mail and be received by our office no later than the fourth (4th) business day after the fax and/or email was received.

We can accept an application in person directly from the individual voter only before early voting begins.

You may download an Early Voting Absentee application from our site.
Note: This file requires Adobe Acrobat Reader to view or print. The reader can be downloaded free from Adobe.

If you are candidate or campaign representative requesting Applications for Ballot by Mail (ABBM), please call 214-819-6359 or email evapplications@dallascounty.org to reduce wait time. All candidates and campaign representatives are required to present a Texas Driver License or State ID and a copy of the Campaign Treasurer Report.   *Campaign representatives are required to submit signed authorization letter from the candidate.

Military and overseas citizens should use the Federal Postcard Application (FPCA).

 H.B. 1927 law effective 9/1/2015, allows an application to be submitted throughout the calendar year beginning January 1st or 60 days before an election if the election is held in January or February of a calendar year. Also, the deadline for applications is no later than the close of business 11 days before election day for both regular and FPCA applications. If the deadline falls on a weekend, the last day to submit an application is the preceding Friday. If the deadline falls on a state or federal holiday, the ballot must be received on the preceding business day. Please call our office 214-819-6359, if you have any questions concerning your application.
You do not have to use a formal application; however, an informal application must be in writing and include:
your signature (or a witness’ signature if you cannot sign);
your name and the address at which you are registered to vote;
the address to which the ballot is to be mailed;
the election date and for which election you are requesting a ballot (for a primary election, you must state the political party’s primary (Republican or Democratic) in which you wish to vote); and,
a reason why you are eligible to vote early by mail and if you are a registered voter who is:

• Will be 65 years of age or older on election day; Has a disability,
• defined as a sickness or physical condition that prevents the voter from voting in person without a likelihood of needing personal assistance or injury to the voter’s health;
• Expects to be out of the county during the hours that voting is conducted during early voting in person and on election day; or
• Is confined in jail 1) serving a misdemeanor sentence and will not be released prior to election day, 2) pending trial or an appeal of a conviction after denial of bail or without bail, or where release on bail before election day is unlikely.

For more information on the ballot by mail and FPCAs,
call us at (214) 819-6359, fax us at (214) 819-6303,
Email: evapplications@dallascounty.org for Regular Applications or earlyvotingmail@dallascounty.org for FPCA Applications
or write us at:
Michael J. Scarpello- Early Voting Clerk
Dallas County Elections
1520 Round Table Drive
Dallas, Texas 75247