What to do if you make a mistake on your ballot

"If you mark the wrong bubble on your Harris County ballot — or even just think you did — that paper or screen is still yours to fix. A mismarked ballot only becomes final once your paper ballot has been inserted into the scanner and cast. Everything before that step is recoverable.

Under the Texas Election Code, a voter who mismarks, damages, or otherwise spoils a ballot is entitled to hand it back and receive a fresh one. A spoiled ballot is, by definition, one that has not yet been finalized — which is why returning it works as a do-over, not a penalty. But you have to speak up before the vote is final.

The three-ballot rule

Texas caps a voter at three ballots per election: the original, plus up to two replacements. Each spoiled ballot must be returned to an election officer before a new one is issued, and once you have used all three, there are no more. If a ballot is spoiled because of an election officer’s administrative error rather than the voter’s own mistake, that one does not count against your three-ballot limit.

The sequence matters: you get extra chances only if you stop and tell a poll worker before the vote is final. Simply marking something wrong and moving ahead as if it can be fixed later is how a correctable mistake becomes permanent.

If you need a third ballot

The process changes if you need a third ballot. Under Texas law, a voter who has already spoiled the original ballot and one replacement may not simply receive another ballot from an election officer. For that third and final ballot, the voter must go before an election judge, who must approve the request, according to the Texas Election Code.

That added step exists to protect the integrity of the limited three-ballot allowance. But it can also slow things down, especially during a busy early-voting period. If you know you spoiled two ballots and still need another, don’t wait in the regular check-in line expecting a poll worker to resolve it. Ask to speak to the election judge right away. Going to the judge first gets the approval properly documented and avoids an extra round of confusion at the check-in table.

When a spoiled ballot is accepted, the election officer records your name and the spoiled ballot’s number in a register, deposits the spoiled ballot in ballot box no. 4, and provides a fresh one. For the third ballot, that replacement can be issued only after the election judge authorizes it.

The one step you cannot undo

Casting your ballot is the point of no return. After that, no ballot can be spoiled, retrieved, or changed — no matter what a voter notices later. Everything correctable has to be caught and corrected before your marked ballot is inserted into the scanner.

On a screen ballot, the review page that lists every one of your selections is built for exactly this. Take it race by race, confirm each choice, and only then print your ballot and insert it into the scanner. On a paper ballot, check both sides and every contest before you hand it over.

Where to vote early in Pasadena

Harris County early voting for the November 3, 2026 general and special elections runs Monday, October 19 through Friday, October 30, 2026.

Under the Texas Election Code, a registered Harris County voter may vote at any early-voting location in the county — not just the one nearest home. Harris County operates countywide early-voting vote centers for this election, and all of them accept any registered Harris County voter.

Hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on October 19–24 and October 26–30, and noon to 7 p.m. on Sunday, October 25. Pasadena-area locations on the county locator include the East Harris County Activity Center at 7340 Spencer Highway, the BakerRipley Pasadena Campus at 720 Fairmont Parkway, and the John Phelps Courthouse at 101 South Richey Street.

The mechanics of the fix are simple, but the one firm guarantee in the whole process is this: once the ballot is cast, it is final. So before you insert that paper ballot, take a full, unhurried minute to look over every contest. If something is wrong — or has you second-guessing — tell a poll worker. You have ballots to spare, but only before the scanner makes your marks permanent. And if you’ve already used two ballots, ask for the election judge before you ask for anything else."