Can you help someone fill out a ballot in TX? What to know about voter assistance laws

While millions of Texans are registered to vote ahead of Election Day on Nov. 5, some may need assistance to fill out their ballots.

The state has laws on who can help cast your ballot — and the rules they have to follow. Here’s what to know about getting help to fill out your ballot in Texas.

Can I help someone fill out their ballot in Texas?

Yes. Texas law allows registered voters to request assistance from someone of their choice with preparing their ballots, according to the Texas Secretary of State.

Voters may be assisted by:

• Any person the voter chooses who is not an election worker.
• Two election workers on Election Day.
• One election worker during early voting.

Voters may not be assisted by:

• Their employer.
• An agent of their employer or.
• An officer or agent of their union.

State law says the “person assisting the voter must read him or her the entire ballot unless the voter asks to have only parts of the ballot read.”

“The person assisting the voter must take an oath that he or she will not try to influence the voter’s vote and will mark the ballot as the voter directs.

If the voter chooses to be assisted by polling place officials, poll watchers and election inspectors may observe the voting process, Texas law says. But if the voter asks to be assisted by a person the voter chooses, no one else may watch him or her vote.

How to get help filling out your ballot in-person

If you need assistance at the polls, tell the election official if you are a voter who needs help to vote. You do not have to provide proof of your disability, according to votetexas.org.

For guidance on which voters are eligible to receive assistance at the polling place, please see Section 208 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA), which provides for voters who need assistance to vote by reason of blindness, disability, or inability to read or write.

What rules are there for the person who helps you with your ballot?

State law says the person who helps you fill out your ballot at voting sites is not permitted to:

• Try to influence the voter’s vote.
• Mark the voter’s ballot in a way other than the way they have asked.
• Tell anyone how the voter voted.

This story was originally published October 10, 2024 at 2:55 PM.