Ballot by Mail (Absentee Voting)

The first day for the Election’s Office to receive an Annual Regular or FPCA Ballot by Mail Application for all 2022 Elections is: January 1, 2022

• Application for Ballot to Vote by Mail English
• Application for Ballot to Vote by Mail – Spanish
  
• Application for Emergency Ballot
• Know your rights 
  

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 apply is the preceding Friday. If the deadline falls on a state or federal holiday, the ballot must be received on the preceding business day.

Election	Deadline to Submit Application
March 1-Primary Election	Friday, February 18, 2022
May 7-Joint and Constitutional Amendment Election	Tuesday, April 26, 2022
May 24-Primary Runoff	Friday, May 13, 2022
June 18-Joint Runoff	Tuesday, June 7, 2022
Nov 8-General Election	Friday, October 28, 2022

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, 11th  day before Election Day.

You are eligible to vote early by mail if you are a registered voter who is:

• 65 years of age or older
• Disability (as defined in Texas Election Code 82.002(a))
• Expected to give birth within three weeks before or after Election Day (House Bill 3920 (2021))
• Civilly Committed Under 841, Health and Safety Code
• 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.)
• Confined in Jail or Involuntary Civil Commitment (You may only apply for a ballot for one election and any resulting runoff)
• Part of the Attorney General Address Confidentiality Program

• 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
• A member of the National Guard or Dependent (as defined in Texas Election Code 82 and 101)

* 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

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 apply 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 at 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:
  • 65 years of age or older
  • Disability (as defined in Texas Election Code 82.002(a))
  • Expected to give birth within three weeks before or after Election Day (House Bill 3920 (2021))
  • Civilly Committed Under 841, Health and Safety Code
  • 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.)
  • Confined in Jail or Involuntary Civil Commitment (You may only apply for a ballot for one election and any resulting runoff)
  • Part of the Attorney General Address Confidentiality Program

• 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 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.
• Hand-delivered must be received by the early voting clerk by 7:00 pm on Election Day 
  • 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.

To the address listed below:
Michael J Scarpello- Early Voting Clerk
Dallas County Elections Department
1520 Round Table Drive
Dallas, Texas 75247

1. A ballot that is mailed or delivered by a 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.
   
2. 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.
3. A ballot that is hand-delivered must be received by the early voting clerk by 7:00 pm on Election Day.
4. 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).
   

Ballot by Mail Tracker

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