Explained: Who can vote in Texas and what to bring to the polls

In this Feb. 26, 2014 photo, a voter prepares to cast his ballot at an early voting polling site, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) In this Feb. 26, 2014 photo, a voter prepares to cast his ballot at an early voting polling site, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) Photo: Eric Gay, STF Photo: Eric Gay, STF Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Explained: Who can vote in Texas and what to bring to the polls 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

This election cycle there's been plenty of talk about voter ID laws and what you need to vote – but there's been less focus on who can actually vote.

Before Tuesday's voter registration deadline, here's a look at who qualifies to cast a ballot this year – and what they need to bring along to do so.

The specifics vary a bit from state to state, but one of the consistent requirements nationwide is the age minimum: 18.

Young Texans looking to register for their first election don't have to be 18 when they fill out their paperwork, but they do have to reach majority age by the time Election Day rolls around.

But they can't register too far in advance, Elaine Wiant of the League of Women Voters of Texas explained. "You can only register to vote if you're within two months of being 18," Wiant told the Chronicle.

Though potential voters don't have to be old enough to vote at the time of their registration, they do have to reside in Texas when they register, Wiant explained.

That effectively creates a month-long residency requirement because registration cut-offs are 30 days before Election Day.

College students are allowed to vote wherever they consider home – whether it's at their parents' place or at school, Wiant said.

Non-citizens are banned from voting – and they aren't even allowed to register till citizenship is in place.

But even among citizens, there are some demographics that can't vote. For one, anyone with a felony conviction cannot cast a ballot until they complete their sentence – including probation or parole.

Texans with misdemeanor convictions are still allowed to vote during their sentence – even while they're still behind bars. And anyone accused of a felony but not yet convicted can still vote, as can anyone whose case is still winding its way through appeals.

Texas law doesn't allow voting by anyone who's been declared mentally incapacitated by a court.

"That's pretty strict. There are not that many people who have been declared mentally incapacitated by a court," Wiant said. "It's not just because you go to a psychiatrist."

Typically, an incapacitation ruling might result from a legal guardianship, when a court puts one person in charge of another's affairs, Wiant said.

Of course, even if would-be voters meet all the above requirements – and register by the upcoming deadline – they also have to bring the right ID to the polls.

There are only seven acceptable forms of photo ID: Texas driver license or ID card, Election Identification Certificate, state-issued concealed handgun permit, military ID card, citizenship certificate with a photo and U.S. passport.

Thanks to a deal approved by a federal judge in August, a few alternative forms of ID will be allowed at the polls in November. Originally, the Legislature passed its stringent voter ID law in 2011, but it wasn't used until 2013, when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down parts of the Voting Rights Act.

But as soon as the controversial Texas law went into effect, minority groups launched a lawsuit to challenge the measure.

As the case wound its way through federal courts and appeals, eventually the 5th Circuit ordered a temporary fix and bounced the case back to a lower court.

The new short-term arrangement allows voters to rely on other forms of ID – including a birth certificate or a utility bill – in combination with a signed affidavit explaining why it wasn't possible to bring one of the seven approved forms.

A little over a month after the lower court approved the fix, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed an appeal asking the U.S. Supreme Court to restore the more stringent requirements.

"Voter ID laws both prevent fraud and increase the public's confidence in our elections," he said at the time. "Texas enacted a common-sense voter ID law, and I am confident that the U.S. Supreme Court will ultimately reinstate it."

But, as of now, the more lax agreement still stands for the upcoming electoral face-off.

The 2016 general election is Nov. 8; early voting starts Oct. 24.