Richmond, Texas Public Records

Applications are available online, at the Elections Office, libraries, and various government offices, and must be postmarked or submitted at least 30 days before an election. Applicants must be U.S. Citizens, Texas residents, at least 17 years and 10 months old (18 by election day), and not finally convicted of a felony or, if so convicted, have completed their sentence including probation and parole. Valid photo identification is required at polling places, including Texas driver's license, election identification certificate, passport, military ID, or citizenship certificate with photo. The city holds municipal elections for mayor and four city council positions on the uniform election date in May of even-numbered years, with the next Richmond city election scheduled for May 2026. Candidate filing information and local ballot measures specific to the city are posted at www.richmondtx.gov and at the Fort Bend County Elections Office. Residents can find their assigned polling place for any election using the Fort Bend County Elections Office's online polling place locator at www.fortbendcountytx.gov/elections or by calling (281) 341-8670. Voters may also vote at any early voting location in Fort Bend County during the early voting period, typically beginning 17 days before election day and ending four days before for most elections. Under Texas public records law, certain election records are publicly accessible. The county Elections Office maintains publicly available voter registration lists (excluding Social Security numbers and driver's license numbers), which may be purchased for political purposes. Campaign finance reports for local candidates are filed with the Texas Ethics Commission for state offices and with the Fort Bend County Clerk or City Secretary for county and municipal candidates respectively; these reports are searchable online at www.ethics.state.tx.us for state-level races. Candidate filings, ballot language, and precinct-level election results are public records available through the Elections Office website. In the November 2024 presidential election, Fort Bend County reported approximately 350,000 registered voters with turnout of approximately 65-68%, reflecting strong civic engagement in this suburban Houston county. The November 3, 2026 general election will be a midterm election year for Texas voters in the area and throughout Fort Bend County. Texas voters will decide the Governor's race, as Governor Greg Abbott's term expires in 2027, and all statewide executive offices including Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Comptroller, and others are on four-year cycles coinciding with 2026. One U.S. Senate sefor Texas is up in 2026 (Senator John Cornyn's seat, as his current term expires January 2027). All U.S. House seats, including Fort Bend County districts, will be contested. Texas State Legislature seats are elected in even-numbered years; local voters elect representatives to the Texas House of Representatives and Texas Senate from their respective districts. Fort Bend County offices on the 2026 ballot will include County Judge, County Commissioners for applicable precincts, Sheriff, County Clerk, District Clerk, Tax Assessor-Collector, County Attorney, District Attorney, and various judicial positions including County Court at Law judges and District Court judges, most serving four-year terms. City voters will also decide the Richmond mayoral race and city council seats in the May 2026 municipal election. Texas does not offer general no-excuse absentee voting; mail-in ballots are available only to voters who are 65 or older, have a disability, will be absent from the county during the entire early voting period and election day, or are confined in jail. Applications for mail-in ballots (officially called Application for Ballot by Mail, Form ABBM) must be submitted to the Fort Bend County Elections Office, with specific deadlines typically 11 days before election day for the application to be received.