Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth reminds citizens that Election Day for the Uniform and Special Elections is this Saturday, May 4. Harris County uses the countywide polling place program, meaning voters can vote at any of the 151 vote centers open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on May 4.
“More than 19,000 votes were cast in person during early voting for the May 4 Uniform and Special Elections,” said Clerk Hudspeth, the county’s chief election official. “If you did not participate in early voting, your last opportunity to vote in this election is this Saturday, May 4.”
This is the first-ever opportunity for voters to elect three members to the Harris Central Appraisal District (HCAD) Board of Directors. Thirteen candidates are running for three unpaid, elected positions on the nine-member board. The HCAD Board of Directors is responsible for many administrative processes, including hiring the chief appraiser and appointing members to the appraisal review board.
Additionally, voters residing in Texas Senate District (SD) 15 can vote to fill the position left vacant by Houston Mayor John Whitmire. The winner of this contest will immediately assume office and represent SD 15 until the end of the current term, December 31, 2024.
“No matter where you live in Harris County, there is something on the May 4 ballot that affects you,” explained Clerk Hudspeth. “I want to encourage every Harris County voter to view their sample ballot on our website and head to the polls prepared this Saturday on Election Day.”
Election Day Tips
- Written materials, including sample ballots, are permitted inside the voting booth. Voters can view and print their sample ballot on our website.
- No electronic devices, including phones or cameras, are permitted within 100 feet of the voting area at any time.
- Voters can find their nearest vote center and view its estimated wait time on our website.
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 the acceptable forms of photo ID may fill out a Reasonable Impediment Declaration (RID) at a vote center and present another supporting form of ID, such as a utility bill, bank statement, government check, or voter registration certificate.
Unofficial election results will be posted on www.HarrisVotes.com/Election-Results as they become available on election night, starting after 7 p.m. with early voting and ballot-by-mail results. Official results will be posted after the canvass is complete.
Additional election information is available at www.HarrisVotes.com. For news and updates on social media, follow @HarrisVotes.
You know my spiel about this election by now so I’ll spare you a rerun. The main thing I would say is that if you are voting tomorrow, please go to the Vote Center finder and make sure you know where the nearest one to you is. There are going to be fewer of these than usual open on Saturday because of the low turnout, so check before you go. You can still vote at any of them, just find where they are first. I doubt waiting will be an issue, but you can check that too. I’ll have the results on Sunday. Go vote!