The sun sets by 6 p.m., pumpkin spice lattes are back and it is impossible to avoid the campaign ads on television: Election Day is finally here. 

Tuesday marks the last chance for registered voters to cast a ballot in the presidential election between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, as well as dozens of other races taking place in Harris County. 

Long lines should be expected at polls across Harris County, but voters can cast a ballot at any of the more than 700 locations that will be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. on Tuesday. The county’s vote center map provides real-time updates on wait times for every polling place. 

There are more than 250 state, county and municipal elections playing out down the ballot in Harris County. Voters should expect to see between 50 and 70 contests on their ballot, depending on where they live. 

Countywide, voters are being asked to select a new district attorney and a new tax assessor-collector, as well as county commissioners and a county attorney. U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, D-Dallas, is challenging Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz’s bid for reelection in Texas Democrats’ latest hope in a longstanding effort to win a statewide race in Texas for the first time in three decades. General elections for legislative and judicial races, from appellate judges all the way down to justices of the peace, also are on the local ballot. 

Many Houston voters will have the opportunity to weigh in on Houston ISD’s record-setting $4.4 billion school bond proposal, which faces stiff opposition from residents unhappy with the 2023 state takeover of the district.

Also, a property tax election aimed at providing the Harris County Flood Control District with an additional $100 million annually for drainage maintenance is being held countywide. 

Voters can view their sample ballot online before heading to a polling place. Residents also can read up on the candidates running in each race with voter guides from the Houston Landing and the League of Women Voters Houston.

Harris County residents cast 1,177,388 in-person votes during the 12 days of early voting that ended Friday, according to the Harris County Clerk’s Office. That number likely represents a vast majority of the total number of votes cast in the county. In 2020, 76.9 percent of voters cast an early in-person ballot, according to the Harris County Clerk’s Office. 

There are 2,700,293 registered voters in the county. 

REMINDERS 

Under Texas law, voters must present one of seven types of photo identification to enter a polling place. Acceptable forms of ID include:

  • Texas driver’s license
  • Texas personal identification card issued by the Department of Public Safety
  • United States citizenship certificate containing a photo
  • Texas handgun license issued by DPS
  • Texas election identification certificate issued by DPS
  • U.S. passport
  • U.S. military ID containing a photo

Don’t have a photo ID? You can fill out a Reasonable Impediment Declaration (RID) at the voting center and show a copy or original of a current utility bill, a bank statement, a government document that shows your name and address, your voter registration certificate, a government check, a paycheck or a certified U.S. birth certificate.

If you cannot provide one of those, you may vote provisionally. You will need to sign a provisional affidavit and will have six days after the election to bring an approved photo identification to the county registrar. In Harris County, that is the tax assessor-collector’s office.

You can watch a video on how to use Harris County’s voting machines on YouTube. 

Should you need assistance at a voting location: 

  • The ballot is available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese and Chinese
  • You can increase the font size or contrast on the voting machines
  • Curbside voting is available at every location for those who need it. Ring the buzzer under the blue sign set in the parking lot for assistance
  • Accessibility booths are wider and have a separate control to accommodate mobility devices or a chair
  • Remote interpreters for those who need language assistance, including American Sign Language, are available

You may not use your phone in the voting center. You may, however, take a printed copy of the sample ballot or list of preferred candidates into the voting booth.

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Paul Cobler covers politics for the Houston Landing. Paul returns to Texas after covering city hall for The Advocate in Baton Rouge. During two-and-a-half years at the newspaper, he spearheaded local accountability...