Photo ID? Check. Polling location? Check. Candidate picks on paper? You’ll want those, too.
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3, and a little preparation can help Harris County voters avoid confusion before casting their ballots.
Some voters have already finished the job. Others, like Timothy Phillips, are waiting until the final day.
His explanation?
“Lazy. Honestly. Lazy. Procrastinating,” Phillips said.
When asked whether he works better with a hard deadline, he answered: “Yeah. Better under pressure.”
Whether you’ve been planning for weeks or are putting the details together tonight, here’s your Election Day checklist.
Harris County had 75 early voting locations. For Election Day, the county’s list includes 623 vote centers.
Registered Harris County voters can cast their ballots at any vote center in the county. You do not have to vote at the location closest to your home.
That means you can choose a stop near work, school or wherever your Tuesday takes you.
Visit HarrisVotes.com to check locations and wait times. Locations are subject to change, so confirm your destination before heading out.
One early voter interviewed Monday said finding a convenient location helped make the process simple.
“I looked up online where to vote, and it was one, like five minutes from the house,” she said.
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
An accepted photo ID, such as a Texas driver’s license or U.S. passport, is the main thing many voters need to bring.
Texas accepts these seven forms of photo identification:
- Texas driver’s license issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety.
- Texas election identification certificate issued by DPS.
- Texas personal identification card issued by DPS.
- Texas handgun license issued by DPS.
- U.S. military identification card containing a photograph.
- U.S. citizenship certificate containing a photograph.
- U.S. passport, either a book or card.
If you bring an accepted photo ID, you generally do not need your voter registration card. Election workers check your information against the voter rolls.
If you do not possess an accepted photo ID and cannot reasonably obtain one, you may be able to vote a regular ballot by presenting an approved supporting document and completing a Reasonable Impediment Declaration. Supporting documents include a current utility bill, bank statement or voter registration certificate.
Ask an election worker about your options if you have an identification problem.
Before leaving home, look up your personalized sample ballot at HarrisVotes.com.
The League of Women Voters also offers candidate information through its voter guide and Vote411.org. Those resources can help you learn what an office does and compare candidates’ responses.
Then print your selections or write them down.
You can bring printed or handwritten notes to reference while voting. You cannot use your phone to research candidates inside the voting room.
Jessica Rivera Pace, the League of Women Voters’ communications and civic education manager, recommends looking beyond a candidate’s name or party affiliation.
“So you really want to look at the platform for each candidate,” Rivera Pace said. “What are they saying? What are their priorities? What do they plan to do if elected?”
Breaking the ballot into sections — judicial races, county offices and other contests — can make the research more manageable.
You do not have to make a selection in every contest.
If you skip a race, the votes you cast in other races still count.
But Rivera Pace encourages voters to research the offices farther down the ballot because their responsibilities often reach directly into everyday life.
“If you’re concerned about what’s happening here in Houston, our economy, our infrastructure, our future and the and the choices that our elected officials are making. You definitely should be looking at those races,” she said. “You have people that are deciding county budgets, deciding where your tax dollars are going to be spent. And we want those to represent the people.”
Judicial races deserve attention, too. Depending on the court, judges handle criminal cases, civil disputes, family matters and juvenile cases.
“All of these people make decisions in the courtrooms that, you know, shape the life in the community here in Houston,” Rivera Pace said.
With possible rain Tuesday, consider bringing an umbrella or poncho in case the line extends outside.
Check the forecast before leaving and allow yourself time to get to a vote center.
Phillips said rain would not change his plans.
“It’s not going to hinder me because it’s absolutely necessary to vote tomorrow,” he said. “Can’t stop us.”
You do not have to finish voting before 7 p.m.
If you are in line by the time polls close, you can still cast your ballot. Stay in line even if the wait continues past closing time.
Before submitting your printed ballot, review it to make sure it reflects your choices.
Then insert it into the ballot scanner, following the election workers’ instructions. Printing your ballot alone does not complete the process.
If you are unsure what to do or notice a problem, ask an election worker for help before leaving.
Not everyone interviewed Monday had decided to participate.
One man, Andre, initially said he was prepared but unsure whether he would vote. He described frustration with political attack ads.
After a conversation about local races, the decisions those officials make and the importance of making his voice heard, he said he planned to head to the polls.
“Y’all walking up to me might have just swayed me to vote,” he said. “I think I’m just gonna go head and go vote.”
For Phillips, the reason to participate was straightforward.
“Because it’s my given right,” he said, “and I have to exercise that.”
Find vote centers, wait times and your personalized sample ballot at HarrisVotes.com.
