Maybe you expected to be out of town, but your plans changed. Or your mail-in ballot is sitting on the kitchen table, and you’ve decided you’d rather head to the polls with friends.
Now you’re wondering: “Can I still vote in person if I asked for a mail ballot?”
Yes, but there’s an extra step. Election workers need to cancel your mail-in ballot before you can vote a regular ballot in person. Bringing it with you makes that process easier.
Have Your Mail-in Ballot? Bring It With You
Before you leave home, gather your mail-in ballot, the envelopes that came with it, and your approved voter ID. Keeping everything together will help the election worker walk you through the process.
When you arrive at your voting location, here’s what to do:
- Tell the poll worker you requested a mail ballot. You can say, “I received a mail ballot, but I’d like to vote in person instead. I brought it with me. Can you help me cancel it?”
- Hand over your mail ballot and complete the cancellation paperwork. You may hear an election worker call this “surrendering” your ballot. That simply means giving it to them so it won’t be used.
- Vote in person. Once you’ve surrendered your mail-in ballot, completed the cancellation process, and met the usual voting requirements, you can vote a regular ballot. You can do this during early voting or on Election Day.
What if My Mail Ballot Never Arrived or I Can’t Find It?
Tell the poll worker if a mail-in ballot was issued but you don’t have it to turn in. You’ll generally need to vote with a provisional ballot, unless you have an official notice showing it was already surrendered or another qualifying notice.
You can say: “I requested a mail ballot, but I don’t have it with me and haven’t voted by mail. What do I need to do to vote here?”
A provisional ballot lets you make your selections while election officials check your information. It stays separate until they determine whether it can be counted, including checking what happened with your mail ballot. Before you leave, ask whether there’s anything else you need to do, and keep any instructions you receive.
What if I Already Mailed My Ballot Back?
Start by contacting your county’s early voting clerk, the office that handles mail ballots. Explain that you already returned your ballot and ask them to check its status.
If you’re worried it hasn’t arrived, tell them that. The next step depends on where your ballot is in the process. Don’t assume you can simply cancel a returned ballot and replace it with a new vote at the polls.
Can I Just Drop My Completed Mail Ballot at a Polling Place?
Handing over a mail ballot to cancel it is different from delivering a completed ballot to be counted.
In Texas, you may personally deliver your own completed mail-in ballot to your county’s early voting clerk’s office on Election Day, with the required identification. A regular polling place isn’t a mail ballot drop-off location. Confirm the delivery address and hours with your county before you go.
If your goal is to vote in person instead, tell the poll worker that when you check in. Bringing your mail ballot and asking for help canceling it will make your next step much clearer.
