Vote By Mail

What You Need to Know About Voting By Mail

White image with envelope and Vote By Mail

If you are a Collin County registered voter, you can vote by mail if:

  • You expect to be absent from the County during both the early voting period and election day;
  • You have a disability;
  • You are 65 years of age or older; or
  • You are confined in jail and not finally convicted of a felony.

NOTE: Fear of COVID-19 alone does not qualify as a disability under state law.  The decision to apply to vote by mail because of a disability or physical condition is your own (subject to a correct understanding of the law) based on your current health conditions and health history.

We strongly recommend that you APPLY NOW if you think you may want to vote by mail this November. Applying now will provide enough time for your application to be processed and for you to receive and return your ballot in time to have it count.  Please do not wait to apply!

Applying for a mail in ballot is easy using this link: https://reg.vote/tdvbm.html

When you submit the application form, you will be given two options:

  1. Have the application mailed to you with a pre-addressed envelope that you then return by mail.
  2. Download and print the application. Complete it/mail it to:
    Early Voting Clerk
    2010 Redbud Blvd, Suite 102
    McKinney, TX 75069
About the voting by mail process
  • After you have submitted a valid application to vote by mail, you will receive a mail-in ballot in the mail, when they are sent out (e.g. late September for the upcoming election), pursuant to the application, unless the Collin Elections Department contacts you directly.
  • When you receive your ballot, make sure to sign your application the same way you will later sign your ballot envelope. When you submit your mail-in ballot, the signature on the ballot envelope MUST MATCH the signature on your application if your vote is to count.  For example, if you sign John D. Jones on the application and J. D. Jones on the ballot envelope — they don’t match and your ballot may be rejected.
  • You can return your completed mail-in ballot two ways:
    • Simply mail it back (with postage) to the Collin County Elections Department, 2010 Redbud Blvd, Suite 102, McKinney, TX 75069, or
    • or Drop it off in person at the Collin County Elections office during office hours (8:00 am – 5:00 pm, Monday – Friday).  The voter must personally deliver the ballot, go inside, sign a form, and show their ID.
  • Also, the Collin Elections Department has an email address for questions about Absentee voting. It is absenteemailballoting@collincountytx.gov
Important:

* Only one First Class stamp is required when mailing in your ballot.

** Only one ballot may be put in an envelope. Example: if you put your ballot and your spouse’s in the same envelope, it is likely that one or both of the ballots will not count.

We strongly recommend you fill out and send in your ballot as soon as you receive it.

FAQ
  • “I voted by mail in the Primary Runoff, will I automatically get a ballot for November?”

    Yes, you should, but you can verify by calling the Collin County Elections Department at (972) 547-1900.
  • “When are mail ballots being sent to us?”

    Starting in late September, the Elections Department will begin mailing out ballots to those who have registered to vote by mail.
  • “I’m confused. I voted by mail in the Primary and assumed I would get my November ballot in the mail, but I received another Vote-By-Mail Application in the mail. Do I need to complete it?”

    There are several groups, including the Texas Democratic Party, that are sending out vote-by-mail applications to voters. If you have previously applied to vote by mail and are certain you will be getting a mail-in ballot, you can discard this application. If you are not sure, you can follow up with the Elections Department at (972) 547-1900.
  • “How do I know if my vote counts?”

    Every morning after the previous day of Early Voting, the list of voters is available for anyone to view on the Collin County Elections Website. (It is a large spreadsheet and might take a long time to download. Once you have the list, you can search for your name).
  • “What if I request a mail-in ballot and then decide I want to vote in person?”

    You can still vote in person at your local polling place if you bring your mail-in ballot with you and surrender it to the Election Judge at the polling site. The Election Judge will cancel the ballot and allow you to vote in person. If you do not take your mail-in ballot with you, you will be allowed to vote a “provisional ballot,” which will be counted on or after Election Day once the Elections Department confirms you did not also send in your mail-in ballot.
  • “Can I vote by personally dropping off my completed mail-in ballot at a voting center?”

    No. Mail-in ballots cannot be dropped off at the polls if you want them to count. If you want your completed mail-in ballot to count and don’t want to return it by mail, the only place the ballot can be submitted in person is at the Collin County Elections Department office during business hours. You will be required to go inside and show your ID when you submit your mail-in ballot in person at the elections office. See address below.

    Collin County Elections Department
    2010 Redbud Blvd, Suite 102
    McKinney, TX 75069
  • I want to send my mail-in ballots by FedEx or UPS because I don’t trust the postal service. Can I do this?

    Yes. Simply fill out your mail-in ballot and sign the envelope as you would normally. Instead of dropping it in a mail box, you can drop it in an envelope from UPS, FedEx, or any other common carrier to deliver to the Elections Department. Make sure to put the Elections Department address on the larger envelope to make sure it gets delivered properly. Multiple people can place their completed and signed mail-in ballots in the same FedEx, UPS, or other carrier envelope for delivery to the Elections Department.
  • “I have not yet applied to vote by mail, what is the deadline to apply?”

    Your application to vote by mail must be received by the Elections Department by October 23, 2020, BUT we strongly recommend you not wait until then to apply. If you wait until the deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot, there is a good chance that you will not be able to mail your ballot back in time for it to count. After you receive your ballot, you should promptly fill it out and return it to the Elections Department.NOTE: Mail-in ballots must be received by 5:00 p.m. November 4 in order to count. We recommend mail-in ballots be mailed at least 10 days prior to the November 3 election.

If you have additional questions, you may contact our Collin County Democratic Party Elections Team at elections@collindemocrats.org or call 972-578-1483.