Voting Information

General Information

The national General Election for 2026 (often known as the midterm election) is Tuesday, Nov. 3. To vote in that election, you must be:
- A U.S. citizen
- 18 years of age or older by election day
- REGISTERED TO VOTE*
- and not otherwise ineligible.
Rice students have the option to register to vote in either of two places:
- Vote here in Harris County (must register by Oct. 5* to vote in the Nov. 2026 midterm election)
  - Vote on election day at Rice's own on-campus polling site (Rice Welcome Center), or
  - Vote at any Early Voting site in Harris County between Oct. 19 and Oct. 30
- Or vote at your "permanent address" (usually a parent's address)
  - Requires that you register at that address, then request and return an absentee ballot (vote by mail)
  - Different states have different rules and deadlines--check TurboVote at ricevotes.rice.edu
  - If you are concerned you might miss the deadline, or wish to switch your out-of-town registration to allow you to vote at Rice, you may do so by registering to vote in Harris County by Oct. 5*.
* VERY IMPORTANT:The deadline to register to vote in Harris County in time to participate in the November 2026 midterm election is Monday, Oct. 5
- Whether you wish to vote at Rice or "back home," TurboVote at ricevotes.rice.edu can help.
- NOTE: THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS ONLINE VOTER REGISTRATION but you can use TurboVote to find information, request and complete mail-in forms and get text reminders.

Between now and the Harris County registration deadline (Oct. 5), voter registration tables will be set up:
- At the RMC near the Grand Hall
  - Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- At Fondren Library (near the Circulation Desk)
  - Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. and 3-5 p.m.
  - and also 1-6 p.m. on Monday Oct. 5.
If these times don’t work, Rice students and employees may email Anna Xiong (govhelp@rice.edu) to schedule a time with Kelley Center’s Volunteer Deputy Voter Registrars (VDVRs). Students registering in their home state should visit Rice TurboVote (rice.turbovote.org) for deadlines and absentee voting information. Rice Votes is available to help with questions about absentee voting for Harris County and other states—contact Verónica Reyna (vr33@rice.edu) for support.