Harris County Reports Record-Breaking Early Voting Numbers During First Week

(Houston, TX) – Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth reports that voters have cast more than 54.4K in-person ballots during the first four days of Early Voting for the November 7 Joint General & Special Elections. More people are choosing to vote early compared to the most similar election in 2015, when only 36.3K voted in person during the same time.

“We are looking at an increase of about 50%. We have been working hard to ensure Voting Centers are up and running on time, and voters are getting in and out easily,” said Clerk Hudspeth. “Voters are showing interest in this election and are eager to make their choices ahead of November 7.”

There are 42 political entities on the November 7 ballot. However, voters will only see the contests that are connected to the address where they are registered to vote. Some may see a minimum of 15, while others a maximum of about 35 contests on their ballots. Only voters who live within the City of Houston’s legal boundaries are eligible to vote in the Houston Mayoral, Controller, and City Council races.

“More than 700 election workers are stationed at the 68 Voting Centers across Harris County during the early voting period, and more than 6,000 will be working at the 701 Voting Centers on Election Day, November 7,” added Clerk Hudspeth. “It takes a lot of people to run an election, and I am grateful for each and every one of them.”

Voters are encouraged to take advantage of Early Voting, which continues through Friday, November 3. To review and or print a sample ballot, click here. Enter the name, address, or Voter Unique Identifier (VUID) on your voter registration certificate to view all the contests and candidates. Sample ballots are unique to an individual's address.

The following forms of photo ID are acceptable when voting in person:

  • Texas Driver's License issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)
  • Texas Election Identification Certificate issued by DPS
  • Texas Personal Identification Card issued by DPS
  • Texas Handgun License issued by DPS
  • United States Military Identification Card containing the person’s photograph
  • United States Citizenship Certificate containing the person’s photograph
  • United States Passport (book or card)
  • Voters who do not possess and cannot obtain one of these forms of photo ID may fill out a Reasonable Impediment Declaration (RID) at a Vote Center and present another form of ID, such as a utility bill, bank statement, government check, or voter registration certificate.

Additional election information is available at www.HarrisVotes.com. For news and updates, follow us on social media at @HarrisVotes and @HarrisCoTxClerk.