Two private organizations left four spaces for an eight-digit identification number; Harris County urged using its official form.
A mail-in voting application shipment addressed to 87,049 Texans aged 65 or older included an error in the section intended for the state identification number.
The forms sent by the Voter Participation Center and the Center for Voter Information left four spaces to write a Texas driver’s license number, personal identification number, or Texas voter certificate. Those numbers can have up to eight digits.
The two organizations are private entities and are not affiliated with the Harris County Clerk’s Elections Department. The county elections office did not send the defective forms.
Harris County did not send the forms with the error
The Elections Department confirmed that the requests came from the two private organizations. The mailing began in various counties across Texas, but as of August 27 it had not disclosed how many forms reached Harris County residents specifically.
Voter Participation Center and Center for Voter Information told ABC13 that they notified county election administrators in the affected counties after detecting the error.
The issue does not change the identification requirements. Applicants can provide the full number of their Texas driver’s license or identification, or the last four digits of their Social Security number.
Harris County recommends providing both numbers when the person does not remember which one they used when registering to vote. At least one must match the voter registration.
Those who have not yet submitted the application can use the official form
Voters who still have the defective form can substitute it with Harris County’s official mail-in voting application. The form is available in Spanish, English, Vietnamese, and Chinese.
The identification number should not be shortened to fit into the four spaces printed by error. The official application allows writing the full number.
Residents can also seek guidance from the Elections Department:
- Phone: 713-755-6965.
- Email: [email protected].
- Assistance: available in Spanish, English, Vietnamese, and Chinese.
A submitted application is not automatically rejected
Those who have already submitted one of the forms can contact Harris County to confirm whether the office received all the information needed. The printing error does not automatically mean the application was rejected.
If the number provided does not match the voter registration, the county may reject the request. In that case, the office will send an explanation and another application that must be returned before the deadline.
Providing a phone number and an email address allows electoral staff to contact the applicant when a discrepancy needs to be resolved.
The corrected forms will start being mailed around September 9
Voter Participation Center and Center for Voter Information are preparing tracking cards to explain the error to recipients of the first mailing. The instructions will direct those who already submitted their application to a state resource to correct it.
A second round of mailings is planned around September 9. Those forms will include the eight required spaces for the Texas identification number.
Harris County will accept mail-in voting applications until October 23
The application for the November 3, 2026 elections must reach the Early Voting Office no later than Friday, October 23. The date refers to the receipt of the form, not the postmark.
Signed applications can be mailed to:
Harris County Clerk’s Office Elections Department
P.O. Box 1148
Houston, TX 77251-1148
Deliveries by courier can be sent to 15600 Morales Road, Houston, TX 77032.
It is also allowed to send a signed copy by email to [email protected] or by fax to 713-755-4983. In either case, the originally signed document must arrive within four business days after the receipt of the electronic copy.
Texas limits mail-in voting to five groups
Texas allows requesting a mail ballot for people who meet at least one of these conditions:
- Are 65 years of age or older on election day.
- Are ill or have a disability.
- Will be out of their county during early voting and on election day.
- Are expecting to give birth within the three weeks before or after the election.
- Are incarcerated in a jail but retain the right to vote.
The mailing that contained the error was specifically directed to voters aged 65 or older.
The November 3 elections will also include five Cy-Fair ISD bond proposals and a possible tax increase for district voters.
Harris County will accept mail-in voting applications until October 23. Questions about submitted forms can be resolved at 713-755-6965 or by emailing [email protected].
