# Texas election laws for 2026 midterms

> Texas voters must show photo ID at polls ahead of 2026 midterms.
- Title: Texas election laws for 2026 midterms · Texastribune
- Summary: Texas voters must show photo ID at polls ahead of 2026 midterms. Texas voters need photo ID to vote in 2026 midterms after 2011 law requiring it.
- Keywords: texas, voting laws, midterms, photo id, election day, voter registration, straight-ticket voting, mail-in voting, news, local, election, laws
- Source: Texastribune — https://feeds.texastribune.org/link/16799/17498812/texas-voting-laws-what-to-know-midterms
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: texas, voting laws, midterms, photo id, election day, voter registration, straight-ticket voting, mail-in voting, news, local
## Texas voter ID requirements
Texas voters must show one of seven forms of photo identification at polling places.
## Voter ID law history
In 2011, then-Gov. Rick Perry signed a bill requiring photo ID but federal courts blocked enforcement.
## Additional ID forms
The Legislature added more ID forms in 2017 after federal appeals court overruled a district judge.
## Current ID options
Texas voters can use driver license, election ID certificate, personal ID card, handgun license, military ID, citizenship certificate, or passport.
## Alternative voting options
Voters without approved ID can cast Election Day ballots with other documents or a reasonable impediment declaration.
## Mail-in voting rules
Voters must include an ID number on mail-in ballots and applications to match voter registration forms.
## Mail-in ballot rejections
Over 18,000 mail-in ballots were rejected in 2022 March primary for failing to provide matching ID numbers.
## Straight-ticket voting change
Texas no longer allows straight-ticket voting since 2020, encouraging voters to choose individual candidates.
## Voting assistance rules
Voters with disabilities can have assistance from a person of their choice without proof of disability.
## Curbside voting
Polling sites must provide curbside voting for people with disabilities with a button or phone number.
## Mail-in ballot applications
Voters must request mail-in ballot applications directly from election officials, not receive unsolicited ones.
## Online voter registration
Texas is one of seven states without online voter registration, with a bill dying in 2025.
## Voter registration process
Most Texans fill out paper registration forms, with online options only for license renewals.
## Key takeaway

Texas voters need photo ID to vote in 2026 midterms after 2011 law requiring it.