With Election Day just over a month away and the Texas voter registration deadline for that election coming up next week, here's what you need to know about registering and casting your ballot in Texas:

The deadline to register to vote for the 2022 midterm election is Oct. 11. 

You can check your registration status on the Texas secretary of state's at https://teamrv-mvp.sos.texas.gov/MVP/mvp.do. To do this, you’ll need either your: 

It’s not a bad idea. Generally, once you register you’re good, but the state does conduct reviews of voter rolls to determine if there are ineligible registrations. 

You’ll need to download the voter registration application, which can be found on the Texas secretary of state's website at https://vrapp.sos.state.tx.us/index.asp. After filling it out, you’ll need to print and sign it before mailing it to your county election office. 

You can also request a postage-paid voter registration application through the mail at on the Texas secretary of state's site. New voters can also pick up an application at a library, some post offices, government buildings, high schools or your county’s voter registrar's office. All applications must be postmarked by Oct. 11. 

You can also register to vote when renewing your driver’s license or state ID card through the Texas Department of Public Safety, even if you’re renewing or updating it online. 

After 30 days of registering, you’ll receive a voter registration certificate. Check that all the information is accurate. If needed, correct any information and mail it back to your county’s voter registrar. 

United States citizens who will be at least 18 years old by Election Day and who are residents of the county where they submit the application can register to vote. Convicted felons cannot register to vote if they are still serving a sentence, probation or parole. People deemed totally or partially mentally incapacitated by a court also cannot register to vote. 

Only if you’re renewing or updating your driver’s license or state ID card. 

No. Even if you moved to a new county. If you're already registered to vote and you’ve moved or changed your name since the last time you voted, you can update your information on the Texas secretary of state's website. If you wait less than 30 days before Election Day, you’ll have to vote at the current location you’re registered at. 

You’ll need to bring one of these seven forms of acceptable photo identification to vote:

A student ID is not considered an acceptable form of identification in Texas. 

Nope. You should vote where you’re registered and currently live. 

Yes. If you’re under 70, you can use an ID that expired in the last four years. Residents 70 or older can use an ID no matter when it expired.  

Then you’ll need to sign a “Reasonable Impediment Declaration” that states your reason for not being able to obtain such an ID. You’ll also need to present one of these documents: 

A “reasonable impediment” includes any of the following: 

Applicants considering voting by mail must be either: 

College students who are living in a different county from where they’re registered to vote can also vote by mail. 

Texas’ Election Code defines an appropriate sickness or disability as one 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.” It’s up to voters to decide if their sickness or disability warrants voting by mail. 

You can download the application at https://webservices.sos.state.tx.us/forms/5-15f.pdf or request an application be mailed to you from the secretary of the state at https://bbm.sos.state.tx.us/bbm.asp. You’ll need to complete the application and then send it to the early voting clerk in your county. You can also fax the documents or send a scanned copy via email to the early voting clerk. However, you still must mail the original printed copy to the early voting clerk to be received no later than four days after emailing or faxing the copy. 

The final day to submit an application to vote by mail is Oct. 28. 

Your vote by mail will be counted as long as it’s postmarked by 7 p.m. Nov. 8 and received by the county by 5 p.m. Nov. 9. 

Sort of. You’ll need to provide either a driver’s license number, a state-issued ID number or an election identification certificate number. If you don’t have one of these, you may also provide the last four digits of your Social Security number. And if you don’t have any of these forms of ID, you can check that you haven’t been issued one of these forms of ID. 

Early voting begins Oct. 24 and runs through Nov. 4.

During early voting, you can cast a ballot at any polling location. You can look up locations at https://teamrv-mvp.sos.texas.gov/MVP/mvp.do beginning two days prior to the start of early voting by entering your name, county, date of birth and ZIP code. Hours of operation vary by location. 

Most counties in Central Texas — excluding Caldwell — allow you to vote at any polling location on Election Day. Polling locations are open from 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. on Election Day. 

If you need help registering to vote, you can find your county’s voter registration contact information at https://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/voter/votregduties.shtml.