Changes to voting by mail: What you should know

LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - If you are planning to vote by mail, there are some new changes to the Texas election code with SB1 now in effect.

Who is eligible to vote?

• New: Women giving birth three weeks before or after an election can vote by mail
• Over the age of 65
• If you will be out of the county
• If your confined to jail or involuntary civil commitment

How can I request a ballot?

• Last day to apply for ballot by mail (Received, not Postmarked) – February 18, 2022
• To request an application, you can call the elections office, send an email, or contact them by mail or fax.
• Sending unsolicited mail-in applications is now prohibited under new state law. Now each individual must request an application. You cannot request for a family member.

Voters must provide identifying numbers for your application and when mailing the ballot.

This information must match your voter registration record.

Any of the following will suffice

• Driver’s license
• Personal id
• Election id card
• Or the last four digits of your Social Security number

What if I do not remember which identifying number is on my registration record?

Stinson said the elections office will send you a notice with plenty of time to make changes.

“You can either come down the office if you forgot to signature or left something off and correct it. Or you can use the ballot tracking system to correct it as well,” Stinson said.

Part of the new voting law allows voters to check the status of their mail in ballot or make corrections to their application by going to VoteTexas.gov.

What if my application or ballot is rejected?

Stinson said the Lubbock Elections Office will notify you to make changes.

Across Texas, mail in ballots are being rejected because the id numbers required may not be included in the state’s file.

The Secretary of State is working to update their records of driver’s license numbers and Social Security numbers.

Stinson said at least 17 ballots have been rejected for different reasons.

“Our office, at the first of the year, mailed out about 15 to 20 Wrong applications. And we did re respond back to those folks. I went ahead and were proactive and sent them the corrected one with the letter explaining that we had sent them the incorrect application,” Stinson said.

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