Early Voting By Personal Appearance means that a registered voter in Texas may vote prior to General Election Day during a period designated by state law.

Texas Election Code: Sec. 85.001. EARLY VOTING PERIOD.

• General Election: During a General Election the period for early voting by personal appearance begins on the 17th day before Election Day and continues through the fourth day before Election Day, except as otherwise provided.
• Runoff Election: The Early Voting Period for a special runoff election for the office of state senator or state representative or for a runoff primary election begins on the 10th day before election day.
• If the date prescribed by Subsection (a) or (b) for beginning the period is a Saturday, Sunday, or legal state holiday, the early voting period begins on the next regular business day.

Any qualified voter may vote early by personal appearance. No reason is needed.

Any qualified voter may vote in person at the main early voting polling place or at any other designated early voting branch location during designated times. Usually, there are numerous early voting locations in Harris County during the conduct of a countywide election.

Early Voting by Personal Appearance was introduced in Texas in the mid-1990s to make voting more convenient for the citizenry. It also provides voters who may be away from the county of residence on Election Day the opportunity to vote in person.

By law, in counties with a population of 400,000 or more, the commissioners court has the authority to establish at least one early voting site at each state representative district.

Election Day polls are open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Any person that is registered to vote in Harris County may vote. In Texas, a person must register to vote 30 days before Election Day, if never registered to vote.

Yes. It is not necessary to have voted in the Primary or Primary Runoff to vote in the General Election.

Typically, Federal, State and County contests appear on the County ballot in even-numbered years. Other municipalities within Harris County may also join the ballot, including independent school districts, utility and emergency services districts and community colleges.

No.

Straight Party voting is the practice of choosing the Straight Party option on the ballot and by this means casting a vote for all candidates of the same political party.

In Texas, primary elections are conducted by the major political parties to determine their nominees for a given elective office in advance of a general election.

Any person that is registered to vote in Harris County may vote in either the Republican Primary Election or the Democratic Primary Election (NOT both). In Texas, a person must register to vote 30 days before Election Day, if never registered to vote.

Yes. It is not necessary to have voted in the Primary to vote in a Primary Runoff Election. However, during an election cycle, a voter that participated in a Primary Election may ONLY participate in the Primary Runoff Election of the Party in which the voter initially voted.

Typically, Federal, State and County contests appear on the Primary Election ballot. Political Parties may also offer nonbinding propositions.

No. In a Primary Election, all candidates are affiliated with the same major political party.

Straight Party voting is the practice of choosing the Straight Party option on the ballot and by this means casting a vote for all candidates of the same political party. This option is NOT available on a Primary Election ballot.