Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth announced that more than 1,170,000 voters cast their ballots in person during the 12-day early voting period for the November 5, 2024 Special and General Election. Including the 57,000 received mail ballots, it represents 46% of Harris County’s 2.68 million eligible voters.
“In the last four presidential elections, a substantial number of the county’s voters have cast ballots before Election Day,” said Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth. “If you have not voted, your final opportunity to do so is Tuesday.”
On Election Day, Harris County registered voters can exercise their right to vote at any of the 700 vote centers open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
“While the presidential contest is first and foremost in voters’ minds, there is much more on the ballot,” added Clerk Hudspeth. “Voters will see between 58 and 77 contests, depending on where they reside.”
For more information, voters are encouraged to visit HarrisVotes.com to review all the contests on their ballot. Voters may print their personal sample ballot and take it to the polls.
“We want every voter to have the information they need to ensure the process goes as smoothly as possible,” concluded Clerk Hudspeth. “Again, if you didn’t vote during early voting, Election Day is your last chance to make your voice heard.”
What to Know for Election Day:
- Voting Hours: Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Polling Locations: Voters can cast their ballot at any one of the 700 vote centers in the county.
- Identification: Voters must bring one of the seven acceptable forms of photo ID:
- Texas Driver’s License issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)
- Texas Personal Identification Card issued by DPS
- Texas Handgun License issued by DPS
- U.S. Military ID with photo
- U.S. Passport (book or card)
- Texas Election Identification Certificate issued by DPS
- U.S. Citizenship Certificate with photo
Voters who do not have an acceptable photo identification may complete a Reasonable Impediment Declaration and use other acceptable credentials, including a voter registration certificate, to vote.Items not allowed at the polls (Election Advisory No. 2024-29):
- Wireless communications devices are prohibited within 100 feet of the vote centers, including cell phones, cameras, tablet computers, laptop computers, sound recorders, smart watches capable of messaging or recording sound or images, drones, any other device that may communicate wirelessly, or be used to record sound or images.
- Firearms are prohibited with the exception of law enforcement officers who are on or off duty.
- A person may not wear apparel, including expressing preference for or against any candidate, measure, or political party, regardless of whether they are or are not on the ballot, or relating to the conduct of an election.
For additional information, visit www.HarrisVotes.com. For the latest news and updates, follow @HarrisVotes on social media.
You know the drill by now. I’ll post results as I can and we’ll go from there. Yesterday’s CityCast Houston podcast was an interview with longtime election judge Poppy Northcutt, so listen to that for some idea of what to expect from a logistics perspective, or listen to my interview with County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth about what her office has done to be ready for this. I am reasonably optimistic but I don’t know anything that others don’t know. Hopefully we’ll all have a clearer idea of what happened by the time I sign off tonight. Happy voting if you haven’t already, and happy stress-eating for the rest of you.