Election (May 1, 2027)

Future Election Dates

The City of Brenham General Elections are held every (4) years, in odd-numbered years, on the first Saturday in May.

Unfortunately, working in the City does not make you eligible to vote in a City election.

The Charter is within the Code of Ordinances and can be found directly here.

In short, you must be a registered voter within the city limits of Brenham.  Simply owning property within the city limits does not qualify you to vote in a City election. To be qualified to vote in a City election, a person must:

1. Be 18 years of age or older on the day of the election;
2. Be a citizen of the United States;
3. Not have been determined by a final judgment of a court exercising probate jurisdiction to be:
   1. Totally mentally incapacitated; or
   2. Partially mentally incapacitated without the right to vote;
4. Not have been fully convicted of a felony or, if so convicted, must have:
   1. Fully discharged his sentence, including any term of incarceration, parole, or supervision, or completed a period of probation order by any court; or
   2. Been pardoned or otherwise released from the resulting disability to vote; and
5. Be a registered voter within the city limits of Brenham for more than 30 days prior to the day of the election.

You can confirm your registration status by going to the Texas Secretary of State's website at https://www.votetexas.gov/register-to-vote or by calling your local voter registrar's office in the county where you live.

Your voter registration becomes effective thirty (30) days after it is accepted by the voter registrar in your county. Once your registration is accepted by the voter registrar, your voter registration certificate will be generated and mailed to the address you provided on you application. Once you receive your certificate, be sure to read the information on the back of the certificate, sign by the "X" on the front of the card.

If you moved "within the same county/city" you must file your new address information in writing with the county voter registrar. The last day to make a change of address that will be effective for the May election is April 3, 2025. If you miss this deadline, you may return to your old precinct to vote, however, you will be required to complete a "statement of residence" indicating your new address. 

If you moved to a "different county/city" you must register with the voter registrar in your new county of residence.

Any voter that is registered within Washington County and the City of Brenham may vote early by personal appearance (in person).

Early voting will be held in the Washington County Courthouse Annex Building, 100 S. Park Street, Brenham, Texas.

Only specific reasons entitle a registered voter to vote early by mail (absentee voting). Voters may only vote by mail if they: 

1. will be away from your country on Election Day and during early voting; or
2. are sick or disabled; or
3. are 65 years of age or older on Election Day; or
4. are confined in jail; or
5. are expected to give birth with three weeks before or after Election Day.

You must request an Application for Ballot by Mail (ABBM) from the Washington County Elections and Voter Registrar's Office. 

You must take one of the following forms of identification:

• Texas Driver’s license,
• Texas Election Identification Certificate issued by DPS,
• Texas Personal Identification Card
• Texas Handgun License issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety;
• United States Military Identification Card containing your photograph;
• United States Citizenship Certificate containing your photograph; or
• United States passport

 With the exception of the U.S. citizenship certificate, for ages 18-69, the identification must be current or have expired no more than 4 years before being presented for voter qualification at the polling place. Voters 70 or over, may present an acceptable photo ID that is expired for any length of time.

Other exemptions to the photo voter identification requirement which are subjected to other provisions:

• Voters with consistent religious objection to being photographed
• Voters who do not have any photo identification due to a natural disaster as declared by the President of the United States or the Texas Governor

These voters may cast a provisional ballot at the polls, appear at the voter registrar’s office within six (6) days after election day to sign an affidavit swearing to the religious objection or natural disaster, in order for the voter’s ballot to be counted.

Alternatively, a voter who possess an acceptable form of photo ID but does not have it at the polling place or does not possess an acceptable form of photo ID, and is able to obtain one, may choose to leave the polling place, and return before the polls close with an acceptable form of ID. The voter may also choose to vote provisionally and cure their ballot within six working days after the election. Voter must submit proof of ID at their voter registrar’s office within six (6) days.

You may complete a Reasonable Impediment Declaration form and present one of the following forms of supporting ID:

• Copy or original of a government document that shows the voter’s name and address, including the voter registration certification; or
• Copy of or original current utility bill; or
• Copy of or original bank statement; or
• Copy of or original government check; or
• Copy of or original paycheck; or
• Copy of or original of (a) a certified domestic (from a U. S. State or territory) birth certificate or (b) document confirming birth admissible in a court of law which establishes your identity (which may also include a foreign birth).

Provisional voting is designed to allow a voter whose name does not appear on the list of registered voter or has not brought a valid photo ID to the poll to cast a ballot. If a voter is voting provisional, they will have up to six (6) says to present a valid ID to the voter registrar at 100 E. Main Street, Suite 105, Brenham, TX to cure their ballot for counting. Provisional voters will receive written notice by the tenth (10th) day after the local canvas advising them if their provisional ballot was counted. If it was not counted, the notice will indicate the reason why.

Military and overseas voters should use the Federal Postcard Application found on the Federal Voting Assistance Program website at https://fvap.gov/texas

Please visit the Texas Secretary of State's website at https://www.votetexas.gov to ensure that you are fully informed on the services available to you.

Information regarding student voters is available on the Secretary of State's website at http://www.votetexas.gov

In Texas, a convicted felon regains the right to vote after completing his or her sentence. Therefore, once you have completed the punishment phase (including any term of incarceration, parole, or supervision, or completed a period of probation ordered by the court), you would be eligible to register and vote in the State of Texas.