Friday, March 1 is the last day of early voting in Harris County, and to date, just over 84,000 ballots, (combining in-person and mail-in votes) have been recorded, as per unofficial data. All 79 early voting sites will continue operating until 7 p.m. today.
The Texas Democratic and Republican primary elections will take place on March 5, and all locations will remain open until 7 p.m., ensuring that everyone in line by 7 p.m. has their ballots counted.
Despite Harris County’s continuous population growth, which now stands at nearly 2.6 million registered voters, recent years have witnessed a somewhat stagnant voter turnout. Last year’s joint general and special elections saw a notable decline, with just over 17% of registered voters participating.
Breaking down this year’s early voting statistics, 40,919 voters participated in the Democratic primary, with over 33,000 voting in-person and 7,000 by mail. Meanwhile, 43,840 ballots were cast in the Republican primary, including 3,620 mail-in votes. The Metropolitan Multiservice Center in Houston recorded the highest turnout, with over 4,300 early voters.
Mail-in ballots have accounted for over 11,000 votes since the beginning of early voting.
The March ballot includes some hotly contested races, including the race for U.S. Congressional District 18 and the Harris County District Attorney. Notable figures such as President Joe Biden in the Democratic race and former President Donald Trump alongside former U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley on the Republican side are also on the ballot.
Candidates who suspended their campaigns post-ballot finalization are also listed.
Incumbents like Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez and District Attorney Kim Ogg are seeking reelection.
Furthermore, the Democratic primary features a competitive five-way race to fill the retiring county tax assessor-collector’s seat, previously held by Ann Harris Bennett. On the Republican side, four candidates are contending for the sheriff’s position.
In Fort Bend County, nearly 24,000 voters participated in early voting last week, with 10,263 Democratic and 13,711 Republican ballots cast. Montgomery County, known for its predominantly Republican population, saw a significant turnout, with 19,830 voters participating in the Republican primary and 2,034 in the Democratic primary, based on daily counts.
