Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth has announced that early voting for the November 5 General and Special Elections begins Monday, October 21, and ends Friday, November 1. During the early voting period, Harris County voters may cast their ballots at one of 88 vote centers.“During this period, voters will have 144 total hours to exercise their right to vote early,” said Clerk Hudspeth. “Life can be unpredictable, and casting a ballot ahead of Election Day ensures that illness, work, or unexpected events will not keep citizens from voting.”
In Texas, early voting spans over a 12-day period, allowing citizens more time, including a weekend, to fit voting into their busy schedules. Voting early ensures voters have adequate time to vote and reduces congestion at the polls on Election Day.
Early Voting Hours
- October 21–26 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
- October 27 (Sunday) 12:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
- October 28–30 7:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
- October 31 7:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
- November 1 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
To ensure voters are well-prepared before voting, they can view, download, and print their personalized sample ballot and take it to the polls.“Our office is committed to making voting in Harris County as accessible and secure as possible,” added Clerk Hudspeth. “Voters should take advantage of the early voting period and not wait until Election Day. However, if they decide to vote on Election Day, Tuesday, November 5, vote centers will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.”
Voting by Mail
The deadline to request a ballot by mail for the November 5 elections is Friday, October 25 (received, not postmarked). To be eligible to vote early by mail in Texas, a registered voter must:
- be 65 years or older
- be sick or disabled
- be out of the county on election day and during the period for early voting by personal appearance
- be expected to give birth within three weeks before or after Election Day or
- be confined in jail but otherwise eligible.
For additional information, visit www.HarrisVotes.com. For the latest news and updates, follow @HarrisVotes on social media.
I’m not totally sure how I’m going to do the early vote tracking this year, as we had three weeks of early voting in 2020 thanks to COVID and Greg Abbott’s executive order. (I can’t imagine that ever happening again.) I tracked the early vote for all the Presidential contests going back to 2008 plus the Presidential-like 2018, so for the record, here are the final EV tallis from each of those years:
I expect turnout to be high, I expect the early portion of it to be significant, though probably not at the 88% level of 2020, and I expect Democrats to do well in Harris County. Beyond that, we’ll see. Get used to me asking if you’ve voted yet.