Emergency Ballots Due to Death in the Family


An emergency ballot due to death in the family allows a voter who will be absent from the county of residence on election day because of a death in the family that occurred on or after Thursday, October 31, 2024 (the day before the last day of early voting by personal appearance) to cast a vote in the election. Eligible voters may vote an emergency ballot due to death in the family at the main early voting polling place between Saturday, November 2, 2024 and Monday, November 4, 2024. The voter must be related within the second degree of blood or marriage to the deceased person.

Family members within two degrees of blood include:

  • Father or Mother
  • Son or Daughter
  • Brother or Sister
  • Grandfather or Grandmother
  • Grandson or Granddaughter

Family members within two degrees of marriage include:

  • Spouse
  • Father-in-law or Mother-in-law
  • Son-in-law or Daughter-in-law
  • Spouse’s Brother or Sister
  • Spouse’s Grandfather or Grandmother
  • Spouse’s Grandson or Granddaughter
  • Sibling’s spouse (brother-in-law or sister-in-law)

How does the process work?

  1. Between Saturday, November 2, 2024 and Monday, November 4, 2024, the voter must appear in person to the early voting clerk at the main early voting polling place and submit an  Application for Emergency Early Ballot Due to Death in Family (PDF)
    • Contact information, including addresses for the Early Voting Clerks are available on this website.
  2. The Early Voting Clerk will process the application and give the voter balloting materials used for early voting by mail.
  3. The voter will mark their ballot, put it in the carrier envelope, and give it to the early voting clerk.
    • NOTE: Unlike ballots voted by mail, a voter voting an emergency ballot due to death in the family is NOT required to provide a Texas Driver’s License Number or a Texas Personal Identification Card Number or the last four digits of their social security number in the appropriate place on the envelope, or sign their name across the flap.