HOUSTON — In-person early voting begins across Texas on Monday, Oct. 19, with a record 19,041,684 people registered for the Nov. 3 general election.
The statewide registration total is 2.2% higher than the November 2024 general election and 2% above the March 2026 primary, according to the Texas Secretary of State’s Office.
Early voting runs through Friday, Oct. 30. Texans may vote at any early-voting location in the county where they are registered, rather than being limited to a neighborhood precinct.
In Harris County, early-vote centers will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 7 p.m. on Sunday, according to the Harris County Clerk’s Office Elections Department. The county’s website also provides polling locations, wait-time information and personalized sample ballots.
Voters should bring one of seven approved forms of photo identification: a Texas driver license, Texas personal identification card, Texas election identification certificate, U.S. passport book or card, Texas handgun license, U.S. military photo ID or U.S. citizenship certificate with a photograph.
A registered voter who does not have and cannot reasonably obtain an approved photo ID may be eligible to complete a Reasonable Impediment Declaration and present an accepted supporting document.
State officials also remind voters that campaign clothing, buttons and other electioneering materials are prohibited within 100 feet of a polling-place entrance. Cellphones and recording devices generally may not be used within 100 feet of a voting station or the room where voting occurs. Paper notes and printed sample ballots are allowed.
The opening of early voting follows weeks of concern about delayed registration records. A state software error left more than 500,000 applications unprocessed before counties cleared that backlog. The Texas Tribune reported that officials later identified a separate delay involving several thousand address-change records. Registrations submitted to the Department of Public Safety or postmarked by the Oct. 5 deadline remain valid, and affected voters may cast a provisional ballot if their names do not appear on the rolls.
Eligible Texans requesting a mail ballot face a Friday, Oct. 23, deadline for election officials to receive the application. Mail voting is available to qualifying voters, including people who are 65 or older, voters with disabilities and certain voters who will be outside their county during the voting period.
Voters can verify registration status, review identification rules and find polling locations at VoteTexas.gov. Harris County voters can also call the Elections Department at 713-755-6965.
