Early voting for the Nov. 3 general election will begin six days earlier than usual, announced Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday, July 27. Early voting will begin on Tuesday, Oct. 13, rather than Oct. 19, and continue through Friday, Oct. 30. Mail-in ballots also got an extension for hand delivery to the early voting clerk’s office. They can now be turned in by hand before Election Day and, of course, can still be mailed.
“As we respond to COVID-19, the state of Texas is focused on strategies that preserve Texans’ ability to vote in a way that also mitigates the spread of the virus,” Abbott said. “By extending the early voting period and expanding the period in which mail ballots can be hand delivered, Texas will have greater flexibility to cast their ballots while, at the same time, protecting themselves and others from COVID-19.”
One reason given in the proclamation for extending the voting period was the determination by Dr. John Hellerstedt, Department of State Health Services commissioner, that COVID-19 continues to be a health threat.
