Voter Identification

What’s the purpose of the Texas ID laws?

Texas law requires a voter to present an ID to verify that the person is who they say they are. Its purpose is not to show where a person lives, or whether they are eligible to vote. Voter ID simply proves IDENTITY. 

What are the accepted forms of ID in Texas?

The accepted forms of ID are IDs issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS):

  • Texas Driver License 

  • Texas Election Identification Certificate 

  • Texas Personal Identification Card  

  • Texas Handgun License 

The other IDs accepted are ones issued by a U.S. Federal Agency:

  • U.S. Military Identification Card (with photo) 

  • United States Citizenship Certificate (with photo) 

  • United States Passport (book or card) 

If the voter has one of these, they have to use it. 

Can you use an expired ID to vote?

Voters can use an expired ID to vote. 

  •  If you are under 18-69 years old at the time of voting, you can vote with an expired ID BUT it must have expired no more than 4 years ago. 

  • If you are 70 years old or older at the time of voting, you can vote with an ID that has expired for any length of time. 

Am I able to vote if I don’t have one of the accepted forms of ID?

If you don’t have one of these pre-approved IDs and cannot reasonably obtain one, you will be asked to sign a special form known as a “Reasonable Impediment Declaration,” and will be asked to bring one of the following forms of identification (either a copy or original): 

  • Any government document that includes their name and address;

  • Out-of-state driver’s license;

  • A voter registration certificate;

  • Current utility bill Bank statement;

  • Government check;

  • Paycheck;

  • Certified U.S. birth certificate; and

  • Document (including foreign birth certificates) that establishes a voter’s identity.

What are the accepted reasonable impediments?

The only reasonable impediments that the state allows are:

  • Lack of transportation;

  • disability or illness;

  • lack of birth certificate or other documents needed to obtain acceptable photo ID;

  • work schedule;

  • family responsibilities;

  • lost or stolen photo ID; and

  • photo ID applied for but not received.

If the voter has one of the accepted IDs on the previous slide, they must use it. If they have one but did not bring it with them, they have to go back home and get it. 

Is it a reasonable impediment because you don’t have the money to be able to purchase an ID?

No, because the Election Identification Certificate is free. If you don’t have money to get to the DMV, that's a lack of transportation. If you don’t have money to get birth certificates, that's a lack of birth certificates. If you can’t afford to leave your job to get an EIC, that’s work schedule, etc.

With that said, even though an Election Identification Certificate is free to obtain, the supporting documents needed to obtain the EIC cost money.

Is there an address match in the state?

There is no address matching requirement in Texas. A voter may still vote even if the address on their ID does not match the address shown in the pollbooks or where they are registered. Again, showing a photo ID is to prove identification, not a proof of residence!

What if my name doesn’t match the name on my ID?

Poll workers are required to make a determination of whether the voter’s name matches with the list of registered voters in the pollbook. Your name must only be “substantially similar.” 

  • Examples of substantially similar names from the SOS’s website: maiden names (Beyoncé Knowles is similar to Beyoncé Carter), unlisted middle names (Neil Harris is similar to Neil Patrick Harris), middle initials (Lyndon B. Johnson is similar to Lyndon Baines Johnson), customary versions of names (Sam Houston is similar to Samuel Houston, Esperanza Andrade is similar to Hope Andrade), and slightly different names (Marc Cuban is similar to Mark Cuban, Jamie Fox is similar to Jamie Foxx).

If a voter’s name does not match exactly but is substantially similar, the voter must be able to vote, but may have to sign a document stating you are the person that you claim to be. 

If someone is turned away because their name is “not similar,” please ask for help.