Accessible Voting

Registering to vote

People with disabilities have the right to register to vote so long as they are eligible. To register in Texas you must:

Be a citizen of the United States;
Be at least 17 years and 10 months old at the time of registration — you must be 18 by Election Day to vote;
Not have been finally convicted of a felony, or, if convicted, have completed all punishment including incarceration, parole, supervision and probation, or have received a pardon;
Not have been determined by a final judgment of a court exercising probate jurisdiction to be totally mentally incapacitated, or partially mentally incapacitated without the right to vote.

Guardianship and the right to vote

Deferred adjudication is not a final felony conviction for these purposes.

A person who has a legal guardian may still be eligible to register, depending on whether the court removed their right to vote. Every guardianship order issued after 1 September 2007 must state whether the person retains the right to vote.

You can get help registering to vote from any state agency that provides services to people with disabilities, or from any person you choose.

See full voter registration information →

Polling place accessibility standards

Polling places should support voters, not hinder them. When you go to the polls in Texas, you can expect your polling place to meet strict accessibility standards:

Getting in

A location on the ground floor that can be entered from the street, or reached by a lift with doors that open at least 36 inches
Doors, entrances and exits used to enter or leave the polling place at least 32 inches wide
Curb cuts or temporary non-slip ramps at any curb next to the main entrance
Handrails on each side of any stairs needed to enter or leave, plus a non-slip ramp

Getting to the voting station

All barriers that impede the path of a person with a physical disability must be removed — including gravel, automatically closing gates, and closed doors without lever-type handles.

Voting systems must accommodate no vision, low vision, no hearing, low hearing, limited manual dexterity, limited reach, limited strength, no mobility, low mobility, or any combination of these (except the combination of no hearing and no vision).

Accessible voting systems

On 1 September 1999, Texas became the first state to require that all new voting systems be accessible to voters with disabilities and provide a practical and effective means of casting a secret ballot.

In every federal election, and in most non-federal elections, each polling place offers at least one accessible voting system. Depending on the system, you may vote directly on the machine or be assisted in marking a paper ballot, and you may use headphones or other assistive devices to vote independently and privately.

Requesting an accommodation in a small non-federal election

In certain non-federal elections held in political subdivisions with a population under 20,000, accessible machines may not be available at every polling place. To confirm availability or to request an accommodation, contact the early voting clerk of the county or political subdivision holding the election at least 21 days before the election. For Caldwell County, call (512) 668-4347 or email caldwellec@co.caldwell.tx.us.

Voting systems certified for use in Texas elections (opens in a new tab) · Caldwell County election equipment and public testing

Assistance at the polls

If you need help to vote, simply tell an election official. You do not have to provide proof of your disability.

Who may assist you

Any person you choose who is not an election worker
Two election workers on Election Day
One election worker during early voting

Who may not assist you

Your employer
An agent of your employer
An officer or agent of a union you belong to

The rules your assistant must follow

The person assisting you must read you the entire ballot, unless you ask for only parts of it to be read. They must take an oath that they will not try to influence your vote and will mark the ballot exactly as you direct.

It is illegal for a person assisting you to try to influence your vote, to mark your ballot in any way other than as you asked, or to tell anyone how you voted.

Section 208 of the federal Voting Rights Act provides for voters who need assistance by reason of blindness, disability, or inability to read or write.

If you choose to be assisted by polling place officials, poll watchers and election inspectors may observe the process. If you are assisted by a person of your own choosing, no one else may watch you vote.

Curbside voting

Curbside voting is available to any voter who has difficulty walking or standing for long periods. You do not need to arrange it in advance.

Park near the polling place entrance Look for the posted curbside voting sign.
Let an election official know you are there If someone is with you, have them go inside and notify an election official. If you are alone, call the number shown on the curbside sign, or follow the procedure posted at the location.
Vote from your vehicle An election official will bring the ballot out to your car.

Voting order priority

You may ask to move to the front of the line

A voter who is 65 years of age or older, or who has a disability, may ask an election officer at the polling place to be given priority in the line. Notice of this right is posted at every polling place in Texas.

Texas Secretary of State — voting order priority (opens in a new tab)

Interpreters at the polls

Voters who cannot speak English, or who communicate only in sign language, may use an interpreter to communicate with election officials — whether or not the election officials speak the same language as the voter.

You may select any person as your interpreter other than your employer, an agent of your employer, or an officer or agent of a union you belong to. If you cannot read the languages on the ballot, your interpreter may also act as your assistant, following the assistance rules above.

Deaf voters — please contact us in advance

If you are deaf and will not have a sign language interpreter with you to help communicate with the poll worker or read the ballot, please contact the Elections Office before the election to request assistance: (512) 668-4347 or caldwellec@co.caldwell.tx.us.

Early voting and voting by mail

During early voting you may vote at any early voting site in the political subdivision holding the election — you are not restricted to your precinct.

If you will be 65 or older on Election Day, have a disability, or will be outside the county for the entire early voting period and on Election Day, you may apply to vote by mail. Submit a completed and signed Application for Ballot by Mail any time from the 60th to the 11th day before Election Day. An application may also be delivered in person to the early voting clerk’s office, so long as it arrives by close of business on the 11th day before Election Day.

Where to get help

Caldwell County Elections Office

Address: Scott Annex Building
1403 Blackjack St., Suite A
Lockhart, TX 78644
Phone: (512) 668-4347
Fax: (512) 668-1821
Email: caldwellec@co.caldwell.tx.us
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.

Local district contracting for election services: ElectionsAdmin@co.caldwell.tx.us

Texas Secretary of State — Elections Division

Address: P.O. Box 12060
Austin, TX 78711-2060
Phone: (512) 463-5650 or 1-800-252-VOTE (8683)
Fax: (512) 475-2811
TTY: 7-1-1

Disability Rights Texas

Voting Rights Project for Voters with Disabilities

Address: 2222 West Braker Lane
Austin, TX 78758
Phone: 1-888-796-VOTE (8683) (voice/TTY)
Fax: (512) 323-0902
Web: disabilityrightstx.org (opens in a new tab)

Coalition of Texans with Disabilities

Address: 1716 San Antonio Street
Austin, TX 78701
Phone: (512) 478-3366
Fax: (512) 478-3370
Email: info@txdisabilities.org

Trouble using this website?

Caldwell County is committed to making its website usable by everyone. If you encounter a barrier on this site, please tell us — see our web accessibility statement for how to report it and what to expect.