You do you.

That seems to be the answer by Secretary of State Ruth Hughs to calls that Texas expand vote-by-mail in the face of the coronavirus outbreak, including one by this editorial board. This is about as useful as her previous silence and continues to represent zero official guidance to county elections officials.

Right now, not just anyone can vote-by-mail in Texas. The state requires an excuse from voters younger than 65 who want to submit an absentee ballot.

The law allows those who are disabled to vote by mail only if in-person voting would pose a threat to their health. Responding to a petition by Progress Texas, Hughs seemed to support the argument that the risk posed by the pandemic allows anyone to claim a condition that justifies casting a ballot by mail — but she leaves it up to voters to decide.

“If a voter believes they meet this definition, they can submit an application for ballot by mail,” the response read. “As the situation changes, we will be updating our guidance. We hope this information has been helpful.”

No, it hasn’t, actually. As the chief elections officer in Texas, the secretary needs to be clear, not only on what voters can do to protect their health but also on what county officials can expect in upcoming elections. This is not something that can be done on a wait-and-see basis.

As Harris County Clerk Diane Trautman told the editorial board, her office can handle an increase in voting by mail — which they already expect for the July 14 runoff as older, more vulnerable populations skip the polls — but if more people are eligible, the county needs to know soon to acquire additional ballot scanners and recruit staff for signature verification. Soon, as in this month.

There’s also the matter of training that staff. Last year, the Texas Civil Rights Project sued on behalf of two voters whose mail-in ballots were rejected by local officials who determined the signatures on their ballots were not theirs. The suit alleges the state allows “untrained local election officials to arbitrarily and subjectively” reject signatures.

Making sure that mail-in ballots are accurately counted is one of the recommendations in a letter sent to the secretary of state by more than 30 voting rights groups, which advocate for adequate training as well as a timely process that would allow voters to verify their signature if it is rejected.

Vague advice that puts the onus on voters and leaves local election officials as uncertain as before is unacceptable. The secretary of state or Gov. Greg Abbott need to decide and directly communicate that decision.

Election Day is coming up fast. Texas voters deserve clarity.

First Word pieces are short commentaries by individual members of the Houston Chronicle editorial board. While they tend to reflect the board's values, they may exhibit the author's perspective rather than the institutional view. Carrasco is an editorial writer and columnist.