Early Voting Guide: Polling locations and Ballot highlights

HOUSTON - The November election is fast approaching. Election Day is Tuesday, November 7. Early voting starts on Mon, Oct 23 until Nov. 3 from 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.  

A total of 17 candidates are running to replace Mayor Sylvester Turner in Houston. Due to term limits, Mayor Turner cannot run for re-election. Houston's voters will also elect a city controller and city council members.

Aside from local elections, voters in some counties will be able to vote on bond issues, which will affect local infrastructure and development. There will also be 14 propositions to amend the Texas Constitution. 

Am I registered to vote?

Texas Voter Registration Check (Texas Secretary of State):

1. Visit the Texas Secretary of State's website.
2. Locate the voter registration verification tool.
3. Provide your name, county, and date of birth.
4. Within less than two minutes, you can check your voter registration status.

Harris County Voter Registration Check (HarrisVotes.org):

1. Visit the Harris County Clerk's Office website at HarrisVotes.org.
2. Look for the "Voter Registration" section.
3. Select "Voter Registration Search."
4. You can search for your voter registration record by entering your name or address.
5. This will allow you to verify your voter registration status specifically for Harris County.

Who can Vote?

• Citizenship Requirement: To be eligible to register and vote, you must be a United States citizen.
• Age Requirement: You must be a minimum of 18 years old by Election Day to participate in voting.
• Mental Incapacity: If you have been declared totally or partially mentally incapacitated by a court with probate jurisdiction and are thus denied the right to vote, you cannot register.
• Felony Conviction: If you have a felony conviction, you can only register to vote after completing your sentence, which includes incarceration, parole, or supervision. Alternatively, you can register if you have finished a period of probation ordered by any court, or if you have been pardoned or otherwise had the voting restriction lifted.
• Authorized Representatives: If you are unable to register yourself, your spouse, parent, or child can act as your agent and complete and sign your voter registration application. They must be a registered voter or have applied for voter registration themselves.

Eligibility for Voting by Mail in Texas:

To vote by mail in Texas, you must meet specific qualifications. You are eligible if you:

• Are 65 Years or Older on Election Day: Individuals who are 65 years or older on Election Day are eligible to vote by mail.
• Are Sick or Disabled: If you are sick or disabled, you qualify for mail-in voting.
• Will Be Absent from Your County: If you will be away from your county during both the early voting period and on Election Day, you can vote by mail.
• Expect to Give Birth: If you are expecting to give birth within three weeks before or after Election Day, you are eligible for mail-in voting.
• Are Confined in Jail: Individuals confined in jail, but otherwise eligible to vote can also vote by mail.
• Please note that to facilitate the mail-in voting process, you are now required to provide either your Texas ID number or the last four digits of your Social Security number.

What if I don't have my Voters' Registration Card?

• When voting in person, you can use one of the seven acceptable forms of photo identification if you are registered, but haven't received your voter registration card.
• 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 ID card with photo
• United States citizenship certificate with photo
• United States passport (book or card)

2023 election dates and deadlines:

• Ballot-by-Mail Application Deadline: The deadline for submitting ballot-by-mail applications is Friday, October 27. Please note that this deadline is for the receipt of applications, not just the postmark date.
• Early Voting End Date: Early voting was scheduled to conclude on Friday, November 3.
• Ballot by Mail Deadline: For ballots by mail, they must be received by 7 p.m. on Tuesday, November 7, or postmarked by 7 p.m. on Election Day and received by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, November 8

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Texas Constitutional Amendments

To save time in the Ballot booth, FOX 26's Lina de Florias breaks down each proposition. Click on the link to watch the explanations!

  Click here to understand the Texas Constitutional Amendments - Proposition Breakdown

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Where to vote and Samples Ballots:

Harris County offers county wide voting, here are some popular locations you can go and cast your vote. 

Harris County - find more locations visit Harris county's website

• Harris County Attorney Conference Center – County Conference Center III, 1019 Congress AvenueHouston, TX 77002
• Baker Ripley House – Room 209 4410 Navigation BoulevardHouston, TX 77011
• Texas Southern University W. R. Banks Building – Child Development Laboratory, 3348 Cleburne StreetHouston, TX 77004
• 1 Sheraton Houston Brookhollow Hotel – Jasmine I and II 3000 N Loop W FreewayHouston, TX 77092
• Acres Homes MultiService Center – Auditorium 6719 West Montgomery RoadHouston, TX 77091
• Metropolitan MultiService Center – Gymnasium 1475 West Gray StreetHouston, TX 77019

Fort Bend - find more locations visit Fort Bend's website

• Cinco Ranch Branch Library- 2620 Commercial Center Blvd, Katy, TX
• Missouri City Visitors Center -1522 Texas Pkwy, Missouri City
• Pinnacle Senior Center 5525-Hobby St, Houston
• Rosenberg Annex Building -(MAIN EARLY VOTING SITE) 4520 Reading Rd, Rosenberg
• Tompkins High School - 4400 Falcon Landing Blvd, Katy
• Sugar Land Branch Library -550 Eldridge Rd, SugarLand
• Hightower High School - 3333 Hurricane Ln, Missouri City
• Fort Bend ISD Administration Bldg -16431 Lexington Blvd, SugarLand

*Fort Bend has multiple sample ballots, this one is the sample ballot for Houston resident in Fort Bend County. If you want to see the sample ballots for your precinct, visit their website.

Montgomery-find more locations visit Montgomery's website

• North Montgomery County Community Center -600 Gerald Street, Willis 77378
• Lone Star Community Center -2500 Lone Star Parkway, Montgomery 77356
• West Montgomery County Community Development Center- 31355 Friendship Drive, Magnolia 77355
• Magnolia Event Center -11659 FM 1488, Magnolia 77354
• Spring Creek Greenway Nature Center - 1300 Riley Fuzzel Road, Spring 77386  

Galveston -find more locations visit Galveston's website

• Galveston County Justice Center - 600 59TH St. Break Room Galveston, TX 77551
• Joe Faggard Community Ctr. - 1750 Highway 87 Crystal Beach, TX 77650
• Moody Church -2803 53rd St. Rm. 116 Galveston, TX 77551
• La Marque Community Room -1109 B Bayou Rd.  La Marque, TX  77568
• Santa Fe ISD Museum -13304 Highway 6 Santa Fe, TX  77510