Missouri City, Texas Public Records

Texas residents can register to vote online through the Texas Secretary of State at www.texas.gov or by submitting a paper application available at the Elections Office, libraries, and various government offices. Registration must be completed at least 30 days before an election. Acceptable forms of identification for voting include a Texas driver's license, Texas personal ID card, Texas election identification certificate, Texas handgun license, U.S. Passport, military ID card, or U.S. Citizenship certificate with photo. Voters without acceptable photo ID can sign a reasonable impediment declaration and provide supporting documentation. The city holds municipal elections for Mayor and City Council positions in November of odd-numbered years. Operating under a council-manager form of government, Missouri City has a mayor and six council members representing single-member districts. Information about candidates, ballot measures, and election results is available through the city's website at www.missouricitytx.gov and the Fort Bend County Elections Office. Residents can find their assigned polling locations using the Texas Secretary of State's polling place search tool at www.sos.texas.gov/elections/voter/polling-place-locator.shtml or by contacting the Fort Bend County Elections Office. Early voting locations are published before each election and typically include the Elections Office and various branch locations throughout Fort Bend County for voter convenience. Texas public election records include voter registration lists (available to campaigns and political parties with restrictions on use), campaign finance reports filed with the Texas Ethics Commission (searchable at www.ethics.state.tx.us), candidate applications and filings maintained by election administrators, and precinct-level election results. The county posts unofficial results on election night and certifies official results following canvassing. Historical election data is maintained by the Elections Office and available upon request. The county has transitioned from reliably Republican territory to a competitive swing county with increasing Democratic performance in recent cycles, making it one of Texas's key battleground counties. Voters may consider constitutional amendments, county bond propositions, and local measures. Texas offers limited mail-in voting (absentee ballots) only to voters who are 65 or older, disabled, confined in jail but otherwise eligible, or out of the county during the entire early voting period and election day. Applications for mail-in ballots must be received by the Fort Bend County Elections Office no later than 11 days before election day. Applications are available at www.fortbendcountytx.gov/elections. Texas does not offer no-excuse absentee voting or universal mail-in voting. Most voters must cast ballots in person either during the early voting period (typically 10-17 days before election day) or on election day itself.