Heights voting guide: What to know about early voting, polling locations and your ballot
Early voting is underway ahead of the Nov. 3 election. Here’s where to vote, what to bring and how to find the races that will appear on your ballot.
You can now head to the polls ahead of the Nov. 3 election. Early voting is underway across Harris County, giving you a chance to cast your ballot before Election Day.
You’ll see races for statewide offices, Harris County leadership, Congress, the courts and more. Depending on where you live, you may also have local ballot measures to consider.
Not sure where to go, what’s on your ballot or what these offices actually do? Here’s your guide to voting in and around the Houston Heights.
What do you think?
Share your thoughts in the comments.
When can you vote?
Early voting runs from Monday, Oct. 19, through Friday, Oct. 30.
Harris County early voting centers are scheduled to be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25.
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
You don’t have to wait until Election Day to vote. If you’re registered in Harris County, you can vote at any designated Harris County Vote Center during early voting.
Where can you vote in the Heights?
The early voting location in the Heights is:
SPJST Lodge 88, The Annex at 1435 Beall St., Houston, TX 77008
You can check current wait times online here.
If the line is long, other nearby voting locations include:
Sheraton Houston Brookhollow Hotel, Jasmine I and II located at 3000 North Loop West Freeway, Houston, TX 77092, and Moody Park Community Center, Grand Assembly Room 102 located at 3725 Fulton St., Houston, TX 77009.
What’s on your ballot?
Every eligible Texas voter can weigh in on statewide races, but the rest of your ballot depends on your address. So two people who both consider themselves Heights residents may not have exactly the same ballot.
Here are some of the major races and issues to know about.
Statewide races: Who will lead Texas?
Your ballot includes several statewide contests. These offices affect people across Texas, not just Houston.
Here are the candidates listed for some of the major races:
U.S. Senate
- Ken Paxton, Republican
- James Talarico, Democrat
- Ted Brown, Libertarian
Governor
- Greg Abbott, Republican
- Gina Hinojosa, Democrat
- Pat Dixon, Libertarian
Lieutenant Governor
- Dan Patrick, Republican
- Vikki Goodwin, Democrat
- Anthony Cristo, Libertarian
- Kevin McCormick, Green Party
Attorney General
- Mayes Middleton, Republican
- Nathan Johnson, Democrat
- Tom Oxford, Libertarian
Other statewide races include comptroller, land commissioner, agriculture commissioner and railroad commissioner.
You’ll also see races for seats on the Texas Supreme Court and Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.
These offices have different responsibilities, from overseeing state finances and public lands to deciding legal disputes.
Once you’ve checked which races are on your ballot, you can learn more about the people running. The Houston Voters Guide features candidates’ answers to the same questions and is nonpartisan.
Harris County races: Who makes decisions closer to home?
Your ballot will also include countywide races that affect Harris County residents.
One major contest is the race for Harris County judge.
Democrat Letitia Plummer is facing Republican Orlando Sanchez to replace current County Judge Lina Hidalgo, who is not seeking reelection.
Despite the title, the county judge is not the same as a judge who presides over criminal trials. The position leads Commissioners Court, which helps set the county budget and make decisions involving county services, public safety priorities and emergency management.
Other countywide races include county attorney, district clerk, county clerk and county treasurer.
You may also see races for county commissioner or justice of the peace, depending on where you live.
Houston Proposition A: What is it about?
Houston voters will decide whether to adopt Proposition A, a proposed city charter amendment addressing marijuana enforcement and no-knock search warrants.
The proposal would make enforcement of low-level marijuana possession offenses the Houston Police Department’s lowest law enforcement priority. It would also prohibit officers from requesting or executing no-knock search warrants and establish reporting requirements.
In simple terms, the measure would change certain rules governing police enforcement and search warrants in Houston.
Your address determines which other races you can vote in
Like I mentioned above, the Heights spans much of ZIP codes 77007, 77008 and 77009. But ZIP codes do not line up perfectly with voting districts.
Think of it this way... a ZIP code tells the post office where to deliver your mail. A voting district determines which candidates you can vote for in certain races. The boundaries do not always match.
Local races can vary, too. Some offices represent all of Harris County, while others cover only a particular part of the county. Your address determines which district and local races apply to you.
How to see exactly what’s on your ballot
The easiest way to find out what you will be voting on is to look up your own sample ballot. Enter your information here to see the races and candidates on your ballot before you head to the polls!
What do you need to bring to vote?
Texas generally requires voters to present an acceptable form of photo identification when voting in person.
Accepted forms include:
- Texas driver’s license
- Texas personal identification card
- Texas Election Identification Certificate
- Texas handgun license
- U.S. military identification card with a photograph
- U.S. citizenship certificate with a photograph
- U.S. passport
You can find more info at VoteTexas.gov before you go!