Early voting in Houston: What you need to know ahead of November election

HOUSTON – The Harris County Clerk’s Office is providing information about early voting ahead of November’s election.

Early voting for the Nov. 7 Joint General and Special Elections started Monday and continues through Nov. 3.

A total of 68 voting centers will be open from 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. daily, except for Sunday, Oct. 29 from noon to 7 p.m.

Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth said election centers are fully staffed and each center will have tech support.

Everything you need to know about early voting in Harris County:

• Registered voters can cast their ballots at any voting center during early voting
• There will be 701 voting centers available
• Voters can track wait times at voting centers through Harrisvotes.com
• There will be a total of 42 jurisdictions for this election cycle
• There will be at least 15 contestants on the ballot
• Harrisvotes.com provides a sample ballot that can be printed out and marked to prepare what will be shown on the ballot
• Only residents within the city of Houston’s boundaries are allowed to vote in the mayoral race
• Ballots will be available in four different languages, which is a federal requirement
• Election officials advise voters to make a plan and print out sample ballots for reference
• You know you have successfully cast your ballot when you see an American flag on the screen
• You will need a photo ID, such as a driver’s license, handgun license, military ID, passport, etc. For those who do not have a photo ID, you will have to fill out an impediment form

Voting by mail

• You must be 65 years or older to receive a ballot by mail
• So far, the Harris County Clerk’s Office has mailed over 14,000 ballots and has received over 2,500 back