Registered voters across the Clear Lake area can start casting ballots Monday, Oct. 19, opening a 12-day early voting window ahead of the Nov. 3, 2026, Texas midterm election.

The November ballot includes statewide races for U.S. Senate, governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general, plus all 150 state House seats, 16 state Senate seats and local contests. Harris County's March primary drew more than 560,000 voters, a county record, according to Houston Public Media.

Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth urged voters to study their sample ballot before heading to the polls. "Harris County has one of the longest ballots in the nation, so any average voter when they go in to vote … will have anywhere from 100 plus contests and pages to go through," Hudspeth said Sept. 28 while launching a multilingual voter education campaign, KPRC 2 reported.

Where and when to vote early

Hours vary by county. Webster, Seabrook, Nassau Bay and parts of Friendswood fall in Harris County. Other parts of Friendswood and Clear Lake Shores are in Galveston County.

Harris County vote centers are open Monday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 7 p.m., throughout the Oct. 19–30 early voting period, according to HarrisVotes.com. Any vote center will do. Specific locations are available at HarrisVotes.com or through the HarrisVotes mobile app.

Galveston County hours shift during the two-week window, according to a county elections document:

  • Monday, Oct. 19, through Friday, Oct. 23: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Saturday, Oct. 24: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
  • Sunday, Oct. 25: 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.
  • Monday, Oct. 26, through Friday, Oct. 30: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Two Friendswood-area locations are confirmed: Village on the Park, 400 E. Parkwood (Town Hall), and First Baptist Friendswood, 209 S. Friendswood Drive. Additional locations and sample ballots are at GalvestonVotes.org.

Friendswood voters in Galveston County should note the shorter first-week hours. Harris County sites open two hours earlier and close two hours later from Oct. 19 through Oct. 23.

What to bring

Texas law requires one of seven forms of photo ID: a Texas driver's license, Texas personal ID card, Texas handgun license, Texas election ID certificate, U.S. military ID with photo, U.S. citizenship certificate with photo or a U.S. passport, according to Community Impact Newspaper.

For voters ages 18–69, an expired ID is accepted if it expired no more than four years ago. Voters 70 and older can use an expired ID regardless of the expiration date, KPRC 2 reported.

Voters without an approved photo ID can sign a reasonable impediment declaration at the polls and present an alternative document such as a birth certificate, utility bill or bank statement.

Mail ballots and registration

The deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot is Friday, Oct. 23. Applications must be received, not just postmarked, by the early voting clerk by that date. Mail voting in Texas is limited to voters who are 65 or older, have a disability, will be away from their county during the voting period, are expecting to give birth near Election Day or are confined in jail but otherwise eligible.

The U.S. Postal Service has warned that mail may be postmarked days after being dropped in a mailbox. Voters can visit their local post office and request a free hand-stamp to ensure a same-day postmark.

Annette Ramirez, the Harris County tax assessor-collector and voter registrar, said in an Oct. 6 statement that her office had processed all 75,000 voter registration records delayed by a Texas Department of Public Safety system error as of Oct. 3, according to ABC 13. A team of more than 50 staff members manually reviewed the records.

Voters can check their registration status at VoteTexas.gov. Harris County residents can also visit HCTAX.NET or call 713-274-VOTE (8683). For questions, the Texas Secretary of State's election hotline is 1-800-252-VOTE (8683).

Election Day polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3.