Sometimes during an election we are confronted with additional problems beyond our control and may miss the opportunity to vote on important issues. Listed below are several alternatives to voting in person on Election Day. You may contact the Elections Office for additional information to see if you qualify.
Early Voting
Early Voting is an opportunity for registered voters to participate in the election process prior to election day. Two types of early voting are available, voting by mail and early voting in person.
Early Voting by Mail
To be eligible for voting by mail, you must be a registered voter in Victoria County and qualify under one of the following.
65 years of age or older
disability which limits your access to the polling place
confined in jail and have not been finally convicted of a felony
absent from the county during the period of early voting in person or on election day
You must submit an application to vote by mail to the early voting clerk for each election. The application cannot be received more than sixty days prior to the election. The last time to accept an application to vote by mail is the close of business on the seventh day prior to election day.
To request an Application to Vote by Mail contact:
Elections Administrator's Office
111 N. Glass
Victoria, Texas 77901or by calling (361) 576-0124 to request an application be mailed to you or someone who you believe needs a mail ballot.
You may also request an application by e-mail through Elections.
The last day for the early voting clerk to receive an application to vote by mail for an election is the close of business, seven days prior to election day. If an election is on a Saturday, this day would typically fall on the preceding Saturday. In that case the last day to accept an application is the Friday, eight days prior to the election. For Tuesday elections, the preceding Tuesday is the deadline.
Early Voting In Person
Early voting in person begins seventeen (17) days prior to election day and continues through four (4) days before election day. When the seventeenth day is a Saturday, early voting normally begins the next business day, typically Monday. Voting takes places on weekdays during normal business hours of 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Early voting in person may have extended hours and voting on weekends.
Sometimes during an election we are confronted with additional problems beyond our control and may miss the opportunity to vote on Election Day. To assist voters in these times there are several types of late voting. These include:
Late Voting
Due to Illness or Disability
A voter who becomes sick or disabled on or after the 9th day before Election Day may vote a late ballot if the sickness or disability prevents the voter from appearing at the polling place without the likelihood of needing personal assistance or of injuring his or her health.
The application process for a late ballot can begin as soon as early voting in person is over. The voter must have a representative who will transport the application and Late Ballot. The application must be returned no later than 2 pm on election day and the ballot must be returned no later than 7 pm.
This method places several responsibilities on the voter. It requires;
- the voter have a representative go the the Elections Office and request the application
- the voter complete the portion of the application requesting the Late Ballot
- the voter's representative take the application to the treating physician or practitioner who must certify that the illness or disability began on or after the ninth day before Election Day
- the voter's representative take the completed application back to the Elections Office before 2 pm on Election Day and obtain a Late Ballot
- the voter's representative then transport the ballot to the voter who then votes the ballot, and
- the voter's representative then returns the voted ballot to the Elections Office no later than 7 pm on Election Day
Due to Death in the Immediate Family
A voter who had planned to vote on Election Day but must be out of the county because of a funeral for a member of the immediate family may request a Late Ballot. The voter must go to the Elections Office after the end of early voting and request a ballot. A sworn statement will be taken which indicates the relationship of the deceased family member and that the funeral will not be held in Victoria County. The voter then votes a Late Ballot.