Want to vote by mail in Tarrant County? Don’t make these mistakes with your application

Megan Cardona
·3 min read

Mail-in ballot applications opened for submission at the start of the year and the deadline to apply by the March 1 primary elections is about a month away.

According to a report by KTVT, elections administrators in Tarrant, Denton and Dallas counties have reported around 40% of mail-in ballot applications have been rejected due to errors such as incorrectly filling out the form or using the wrong form.

On Tuesday, elections administrator Heider Garcia told the Tarrant County commissioners nearly 53% of applications submitted for an absentee ballot have been rejected, most because of missing driver’s license and Social Security numbers.

More: 53% of vote-by-mail applications rejected in Tarrant County. How to make sure yours isn’t

Here’s how to make sure you mail-in ballot application is sent in correctly by the Feb. 18 deadline.

Who can apply for a mail-in ballot?

Registered voters in Tarrant County can apply for a mail-in ballot if they:

  • Are 65 years or older.

  • Have a disability.

  • Expect to give birth within three weeks before or after Election Day.

  • Will be absent from the county during both the early voting period and on Election Day. For this reason, the mail-in ballot must go to an address outside the county.

  • Are in jail, but not convicted of a felony.

  • Are under involuntary commitment. For this reason, a mail-in ballot application is allowed for one election and a resulting runoff.

If I applied for a mail-in ballot in the past, do I need to apply again?

Yes, if you’ve applied for a mail-in ballot application for past elections, you will need to reapply for each election season.

The Tarrant County application gives options for which elections, including primary party elections and potential runoffs, voters want a mail-in ballot for in the 2022 election year.

Where do I find a mail-in ballot application for Tarrant County?

An official application form is available on the Tarrant County website, tarrantcounty.com, under the ‘Early Voting Info’ tab.

There are three language options for the form: English, Spanish and Vietnamese. To access the form, click on the preferred language option, print it and fill it out.

How do I make sure my mail-in ballot application is filled out correctly?

Garcia advised those filling out an application to include both their drivers’ license number and last four digits of their Social Security number on the absentee ballot form.

Voters should also make sure the numbers match on both their registration and their application.

Where do I send my mail-in ballot application?

All applications must be sent by mail to:

Mailing Address:

Tarrant County Elections

PO Box 961011

Fort Worth, Texas 76161-0011

Express Courier Delivery:

Tarrant County Elections

2700 Premier St.

Fort Worth, Texas 76111-3011

How will I know if my mail-in ballot application is rejected?

Those who have their applications rejected will be mailed a letter along with a new form to try again.

You can check the status of your application on the Tarrant County website at tarrantcounty.com/en/elections.html by clicking on the Texas flag titled “Where do I vote.” This is also how voters can check their registration status.