Voting in Baytown

Which county you vote in

Your address decides. Most of Baytown is Harris County. The east side past Cedar Bayou, and Mont Belvieu, are Chambers. Baytown sits in both, and the rules change at the county line.

Your voter registration card says which, and the zip-codes page maps it. It matters more than it sounds: each county runs its own elections office, its own polling places, its own early-voting sites, and its own results page.

Each county runs its own elections office, its own polling places, its own early-voting sites, and its own results page.

Registering

Texas does not offer fully online registration. You fill out an application and deliver it to your county voter registrar, in person or by mail. You can print the paper form from the Secretary of State's site. You can also ask the state for a postage-paid form. You can also register when you get a driver license or state ID, or through a volunteer deputy registrar. In Harris County the tax assessor-collector's office is the registrar, and the Baytown branch on West Baker Road is the same stop as the truck registration. To register you must be a U.S. citizen, live in the county where you apply, and be at least 17 years and 10 months old. A felony conviction may affect your right to vote, and TexasLawHelp recommends checking your own situation with a lawyer.

Texas closes voter registration 30 days before an election and has no same-day registration. For the November 3, 2026 election, the 30th day fell on a Sunday, so the Secretary of State listed Monday, October 5, 2026 as the deadline. That date has passed. If you missed it, you generally cannot vote this November. Register now so you are ready for the next election, and ask your county voter registrar about your own case. If you are already registered and have moved or changed your name, you can update your registration online through Texas.gov.

The Secretary of State's "Am I Registered?" lookup, linked below, tells you whether you are registered and where you vote.

Early voting

For the November 3, 2026 election, in-person early voting runs October 19 through October 30. Texas law normally starts early voting on the 17th day before Election Day and ends on the 4th day before; in 2026, the Saturday start rolls to Monday, October 19. Use an early-voting location in your county of registration. The Texas Secretary of State publishes the statewide dates.

Harris County has dozens of sites. The ones in Baytown are the Baytown Community Center on Market Street and the J.D. Walker Community Center on Wade Road, and weekday and Saturday hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (noon to 7 p.m. on Sunday, October 25). Chambers County posts its own list and hours. Each county posts the list and the hours for each election, and the City of Baytown's election calendar warns that schedules and locations are subject to change.

Election day

Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Baytown's city calendar lists polls open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. If you are in line by closing time, you can still vote. Both Harris and Chambers are approved for Texas's countywide polling place program. On Election Day, a registered voter may use any polling place in that voter's county. Each county's notice for a given election says whether it is using the program and where the sites are, so read that before you drive.

Bring photo ID. Texas lists seven accepted photo IDs: a Texas driver license, Election Identification Certificate, personal ID card or handgun license, a U.S. military photo ID, a U.S. citizenship certificate with photo, or a U.S. passport. For voters 18 to 69 the ID may be expired no more than four years. Voters 70 and older may use an expired ID as long as it is otherwise valid.

If you cannot reasonably get one, you can show a supporting document such as a utility bill or your birth certificate and sign a Reasonable Impediment Declaration.

What's on the ballot here

City council and mayor in the city's election years: Baytown's districts and the listening tours are on the city-hall page. The school boards for Goose Creek and Barbers Hill. The county offices. The state and federal races in the even years. Bond elections and the college district when they come up. The sample ballot from the county, linked, is the way to see yours before you stand in front of it.

This November, Baytown voters in Council Districts 4, 5 and 6 pick council members for three-year terms running to November 2029, according to the city. Baytown's charter has a mayor elected at large and six council members from single-member districts, and it caps members at four consecutive full terms. The county ballot can include offices beyond Baytown's city contests.

In Harris County, the county-judge race is open because Lina Hidalgo is not seeking another term. In Chambers County, Judge Jimmy Sylvia has announced his retirement at the end of his term.

Deadlines, plainly

For the November 3, 2026 election, registration closed October 5. Early voting runs October 19 through October 30. A mail-ballot application must reach the early-voting clerk by October 23. Election Day is November 3. Texas law sets the general pattern: registration is due 30 days before the election, early voting generally runs from the 17th through the fourth day before, and the mail application deadline is generally the 11th day before.

The local elections

Baytown holds its city elections in November. Mont Belvieu's council is its own, and its election dates are on the city's site. The school boards and Lee College's trustees appear on the ballot for the districts they serve. Texas sets uniform election dates in May and November. Local May contests can have much lower turnout than November elections, so check the calendar for both dates.

Mail ballots

Texas limits voting by mail to specific eligibility categories. They include being 65 or older, sick or disabled, or expecting to give birth near Election Day. Other categories include certain absences from the county and some people confined in jail. The application goes to the county's early-voting clerk by the deadline, and ballots have their own receipt deadlines. A ballot with no postmark must arrive by 7 p.m. on Election Day; one postmarked by 7 p.m. on Election Day counts if it arrives by 5 p.m. the next day. Read the instructions that come with yours.

Where to go in person

Harris County Tax Assessor, 701 W. Baker Road, is the local registrar's office and handles registration in person. Sterling Municipal Library, 1 Mary Wilbanks Avenue, is open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is a practical place to print the Secretary of State's form. Baytown City Hall, 2401 Market Street, and Mont Belvieu City Hall, 1 Town Center Boulevard, are the offices for city election questions. The West Chambers County Courthouse Annex, 10616 Eagle Drive, is the county's courthouse annex in Mont Belvieu. The Driver License Office listing at 5420 Decker Drive is where a new license can double as a registration.

Before you go

• Check your registration and your county on the state lookup. The October 5 deadline has passed, so a lookup now is about confirming where you vote.
• Take one of the seven accepted photo IDs, and check its expiration against the four-year rule.
• Look at the county's sample ballot at home so you know the Baytown council district and the judge's race.
• Go early in the October 19-30 voting window if you want the most flexibility in dates and locations.
• Apply for a mail ballot by October 23, 2026 only if you fit one of the state's categories.

Questions people ask

Where do I vote in Baytown? Use the county's lookup by address. In either county you can vote on Election Day at a polling place named in that county's notice.

Can I register to vote online in Texas? Not entirely. Texas does not offer online voter registration. You complete an application and deliver it by mail or in person, though you can update an existing registration online.

What ID do I need to vote in Texas? One of the seven forms of photo ID from the state's list, or a supporting document and a Reasonable Impediment Declaration if you cannot get one.

I missed the October 5 deadline. Can I still vote this November? In general, no. Texas has no same-day registration. Register now for the next election and ask your county voter registrar about your case.

The next local election is November 3, 2026. Find your county on the card in your wallet. Then check your sample ballot and voting locations. If you plan to vote early, the window is October 19-30.

Sources

• Texas Secretary of State, Important Election Dates (https://www.sos.texas.gov/elections/voter/important-election-dates.shtml)
• VoteTexas.gov, Register to vote (https://www.votetexas.gov/register-to-vote/index.html)
• VoteTexas.gov, Early voting FAQ (https://www.votetexas.gov/faq/early-voting.html)
• VoteTexas.gov, Do I need an ID? (https://www.votetexas.gov/voting/need-id.html)
• TexasLawHelp, Voter registration basics (https://texaslawhelp.org/article/voter-registration-basics)
• Texas Secretary of State, Countywide Polling Place Program (https://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/laws/countywide-polling-place-program.shtml)
• Harris County Clerk, Election Information (https://www.harrisvotes.com/Voter/Election-Information)
• Harris County Clerk, Early Voting locations map (https://appfiles.harrisvotes.com/harrisvotes/prd/docs/VotingInfo/EarlyVotingPDFMaps/EarlyVotingMap.pdf)
• Chambers County, Current Elections (https://www.chamberscountytx.gov/503/Current-Elections)
• City of Baytown, Election Information and Candidates for Districts 4, 5 and 6 (https://www.baytown.org/1554/Candidates-for-Districts-4-5-6---Novembe)
• Houston Public Media, Hidalgo will not seek re-election (https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/politics/2025/09/16/530951/harris-county-judge-lina-hidalgo-will-not-seek-re-election-in-2026/)
• Click2Houston, Chambers County Judge Jimmy Sylvia announces retirement (https://www.click2houston.com/features/2025/03/20/chambers-county-judge-jimmy-sylvia-announces-retirement-at-end-of-current-term/)

En español

Votar en Baytown

Votar en Baytown empieza con una pregunta: condado de Harris o condado de Chambers. El registro, la votación anticipada, los lugares del Día de la Elección y las contiendas locales dependen de la respuesta. Para la elección del 3 de noviembre de 2026, el registro cerró el 5 de octubre. La votación anticipada es del 19 al 30 de octubre, la solicitud de boleta por correo debe llegar al condado antes del 23 de octubre, y el Día de la Elección es el 3 de noviembre.

En qué condado vota

Su dirección lo decide. La mayor parte de Baytown es del condado de Harris. El lado este, más allá de Cedar Bayou, y Mont Belvieu son del condado de Chambers. Cada condado tiene su propia oficina electoral, sus propios lugares de votación, sus propios sitios de votación anticipada y su propia página de resultados. Su tarjeta de registro de votante dice cuál es el suyo.

Registrarse

Texas no permite el registro totalmente en línea. Se llena una solicitud y se entrega a la registradora de votantes de su condado, en persona o por correo. Puede imprimir el formulario de la Secretaría de Estado o pedir al estado un formulario con franqueo pagado. También puede registrarse al sacar su licencia de conducir o identificación estatal, o con un registrador voluntario. En el condado de Harris, la oficina del tasador-recaudador de impuestos es la registradora, y la sucursal de Baytown en West Baker Road es la misma ventanilla de registro de camiones. Debe ser ciudadano de EE. UU., vivir en el condado donde se registra y tener al menos 17 años y 10 meses.

Texas cierra el registro 30 días antes de la elección y no tiene registro el mismo día. Para el 3 de noviembre de 2026, el plazo fue el lunes 5 de octubre y ya pasó. Si no se registró a tiempo, en general no podrá votar en esta elección; regístrese ahora para la próxima y pregunte a la registradora de su condado por su caso. Si ya está registrado y se mudó o cambió de nombre, puede actualizar su registro en línea por Texas.gov.

Votación anticipada

La votación anticipada en persona es del 19 al 30 de octubre de 2026, en cualquier sitio de su condado de registro. En el condado de Harris, los sitios de Baytown son el Baytown Community Center, en Market Street, y el J.D. Walker Community Center, en Wade Road. El horario es de 7 a.m. a 7 p.m., y el domingo 25 de octubre de 12 del mediodía a 7 p.m. El condado de Chambers publica su propia lista y horarios. Los lugares y horarios pueden cambiar.

Día de la Elección

El Día de la Elección es el martes 3 de noviembre de 2026. Las casillas abren de 7 a.m. a 7 p.m., y si usted está en la fila a la hora de cierre, todavía puede votar. Harris y Chambers participan en el programa de casillas por todo el condado: el Día de la Elección puede votar en cualquier casilla de su condado. El aviso de cada condado dice dónde están.

Lleve una de las siete identificaciones con foto aceptadas: licencia de conducir, certificado de identificación electoral, tarjeta de identificación personal o licencia para portar armas de Texas; identificación militar de EE. UU. con foto; certificado de ciudadanía con foto; o pasaporte de EE. UU. Para votantes de 18 a 69 años, la identificación puede estar vencida hasta cuatro años. Los de 70 años o más pueden usarla vencida si por lo demás es válida. Si no puede obtener una de manera razonable, puede mostrar un documento de apoyo, como una factura de servicios o su acta de nacimiento, y firmar una declaración de impedimento razonable.

Qué hay en la boleta

Este noviembre, los votantes de los distritos 4, 5 y 6 de Baytown eligen miembros del concejo para períodos de tres años que terminan en noviembre de 2029, según la ciudad. La carta municipal establece un alcalde elegido por toda la ciudad y seis concejales de distritos de un solo miembro, con un límite de cuatro períodos completos consecutivos. En el condado de Harris, la contienda por juez del condado está abierta porque Lina Hidalgo no buscará otro período. En el condado de Chambers, el juez Jimmy Sylvia anunció su retiro al final de su período. Su boleta de muestra, en el sitio del condado, es la mejor manera de ver su boleta antes de votar.

Boletas por correo

El voto por correo en Texas se limita a quienes tienen 65 años o más, están enfermos o tienen una discapacidad, esperan un bebé cerca del Día de la Elección, estarán fuera del condado durante la votación anticipada y el Día de la Elección, o están en la cárcel pero son elegibles. La solicitud debe llegar a la secretaria de votación anticipada de su condado antes del 23 de octubre. Una boleta sin matasellos debe llegar a las 7 p.m. del Día de la Elección; con matasellos de las 7 p.m. o antes, cuenta si llega a las 5 p.m. del día siguiente.

Dónde ir en persona

La oficina del tasador de impuestos del condado de Harris, 701 W. Baker Road, es la registradora local. La biblioteca Sterling Municipal Library, 1 Mary Wilbanks Avenue, abre de lunes a jueves de 10 a.m. a 8 p.m. y viernes y sábado de 10 a.m. a 5 p.m.; sirve para imprimir el formulario. Las alcaldías de Baytown (2401 Market Street) y Mont Belvieu (1 Town Center Boulevard) atienden preguntas sobre elecciones de la ciudad. El anexo del Palacio de Justicia del Oeste del Condado de Chambers está en 10616 Eagle Drive, en Mont Belvieu.

Antes de ir

• Revise su registro y su condado en la consulta estatal. El plazo del 5 de octubre ya pasó.
• Lleve una de las siete identificaciones con foto aceptadas.
• Mire la boleta de muestra de su condado en casa.
• Si puede, vote temprano, entre el 19 y el 30 de octubre.
• Solicite boleta por correo antes del 23 de octubre solo si cumple una de las categorías del estado.