HOUSTON – After more than 300 days without representation, voters in Texas’ 18th Congressional District will finally choose a new member of Congress this Saturday.
But as Election Day approaches, early voting numbers remain low, and some voters say confusion and long wait times may be discouraging turnout.
The seat has been vacant since the death of Congressman Sylvester Turner. Former Houston City Council Member Amanda Edwards and former Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee are the two candidates vying to fill the role.
According to data from the Harris County Clerk and the Secretary of State’s Office, more than 800,000 people live in the district, with roughly 400,000 registered voters. Yet as of this week, only approximately 13,453 ballots have been cast. It makes up less than 4% of eligible voters.
Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth is urging voters not to wait until the last minute.
“Polls are open tomorrow from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.,” Hudspeth said. “No excuses. Yes, it’s going to be brisk and cold, but there’s no rain.”
Community advocate Sandra Edwards, who works closely with residents in Fifth Ward and Kashmere Gardens, says the low turnout does not surprise her.
“People are coming from work or picking up their kids, trying to vote quickly,” Edwards said. “When it takes too long, they just leave.”
Edwards says she received numerous calls during extended early voting on Wednesday and Thursday from voters frustrated by long wait times, many of them tied to provisional ballots.
“I had people telling me they waited 45 minutes,” she said. “So, I came up here on my own to see what was going on.”
Some voters, Edwards says, were unsure what provisional ballots were or whether their votes would count causing some to walk away without voting.
“I didn’t understand it at first,” Edwards said. “I thought it was some old fly stuff, and I wasn’t going to take part in it.”
Election officials stress that provisional ballots are legitimate and will be counted, as long as voters are registered in the 18th District and present valid identification, in compliance with federal law.
Officials encourage voters with questions to ask poll workers for clarification rather than leaving without voting.
The special election comes at a critical moment in Washington. The U.S. House of Representatives is narrowly divided, with Republicans holding a 218–213 majority. Four seats are currently vacant due to resignations and deaths, including Turner’s.
Political analysts say the absence of the 18th District’s vote has had real consequences.
“For almost a year, the citizens of the 18th Congressional District have had no input on legislation that has passed,” said Dr. Michael Adams, a political science professor at Texas Southern University.
That includes votes on major bills affecting healthcare, veterans, and other federal priorities.
“In the modern era of American politics, what has been done to the people of the 18th District has been unprecedented,” said Carroll Robinson, a former Houston City Council member and Texas Southern University professor. “We have been denied representation, a voice in the halls of Congress and an advocate to address our needs and concerns with federal agencies.”
Adams says the timing of when the winner is sworn in could depend on what happens in Congress next.
“Hopefully, it happens quickly, assuming there’s no government shutdown,” Adams said, pointing to past cases where delays stretched on for months.
Congressman Al Green has already sent a letter to House leadership urging them to seat the winner without delay.
“My fear is that there will be an attempt to delay seating the person who wins this election,” Green said. “That delay would be totally unacceptable.”
What Voters Need to Know
- Polls open Saturday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Provisional ballots will be counted if voters are eligible and registered in the district
- Mail-in voters who still have their ballots can drop them off at a polling location or surrender them and vote in person