IF you are voting by mail because you are disabled or are 65 years of age or older, you may use a single application to request ballots by mail for all county elections in the calendar year. While you can submit this “annual” application anytime during the calendar year, it must be received at least 11 days before the first election in which you seek to request a ballot by mail. For this election cycle, that would be February 20th, 2026.

 

Vote By Mail is a two-step process. First, you must obtain, complete, and return an application to receive a vote by mail ballot. Second, upon receipt of the ballot, you must complete the ballot and submit it to our Rusk County Elections Office.

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How do I apply for an application?

Call Lisa Sanders or Shannon Brown at the Rusk County Election Office - 903-657-0321- and request that an application to Vote By Mail be sent to you, or download the application here: 

(Scan QR code to download application form or use https below.)

https://webservices.sos.state.tx.us/forms/6-1f.pdf

 

What you must provide?

 

To vote by mail, you must provide ONE of the following numbers on your application to vote by mail:

 

1. Texas Driver’s License, Texas Personal Identification Number or Election Identification Certificate Number issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (NOT your voter registration VUID number); OR

2. If you have not been issued one of the numbers above, the last 4 digits of your Social Security Number. If you have not been issued a Texas Driver’s License, Texas Personal Identification Number or Texas Election Identification Certificate Number or a Social Security Number, you must indicate so by checking the appropriate box on the application.

 

If you need help filling out the form or mailing it, ask someone you trust to help you. Your helper’s name and address must be written next to your signature and they must sign the application.

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Where to submit your application?

 

Completed applications to Vote By Mail must be submitted to your Elections office by: 1.) in person, 2.) by USPS mail or by common or contract carrier 3.) email, or 4.) by Fax.

 

1.) To submit in person, take the completed application to:

 

Rusk County Elections Office

204 N. Main St.

Henderson, TX 75652

 

2.) If you plan to mail your completed application locally by USPS or other carrier, it is recommended to mail it by February 15th. Mail your completed application to:

 

Early Voting Clerk

PO Box 668

Henderson, TX  75653

 

3.) To Email your completed application, send it as a scanned file attachment to: elections@ruskcountytx.org

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4.) To fax your completed application, fax to 903-657-0319

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To vote in the 2026 March 3rd Primary, all applications to Vote By Mail must be in the hands of the Rusk County Elections Office by February 20th, 2026 by the close of regular business or 12 noon, whichever is later.

 

Where will I receive my ballot by mail?

 

Generally, a ballot will be mailed to the address where you are registered to vote. However, if you are 65 or older or have a physical disability, you may have your ballot sent to a hospital, nursing home or long-term care facility, retirement center, or relative, but you must check the blank on the form indicating which address you are providing. If your reason for voting by mail is absence from the county, the ballot must be mailed to an address outside the county.

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What if I need help?

 

If you need help reading, marking, or mailing the actual ballot, ask a trusted relative or friend for help. If someone from a political organization offers to help with your ballot soon after you’ve received it, it’s recommended you decline this kind of help unless you know and trust the person offering to assist. If you allow your ballot to be mailed by someone you don’t know, it might not be mailed at all. If it’s delivered to the elections office by a common or contract carrier from the address of a candidate or a campaign’s headquarters, your ballot will be rejected.

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Finally, if someone helps you with your ballot, you must:

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1. Put your helper’s name and address next to your signature and they must sign the application.

2. If mailed, put your helper’s name and address on the carrier envelope used to return your ballot to the early voting clerk. Your helper must also sign the carrier envelope.

 

 

What’s the deadline to mail in my ballot?

 

Election officials can tally mail-in ballots that are postmarked before 7 p.m. on March 3, which is Election Day, and received by 5 p.m. on March 4.

 

Can I drop my Ballot off in person instead?

 

Yes, but only on Election Day! Voters are only permitted to drop off their own mail ballot in person at an elections office and only on Election Day. Voters who deliver their own ballot, must bring a photo ID. 

 

Mail-in ballots CANNOT be dropped off in person during the two weeks of early voting or any other time prior to Election Day.

Vote!