HOUSTON – Election Day has finally arrived and Harris County voters have turned out to make their voices heard.
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At 10 a.m. Tuesday, Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth held a news conference to address concerns and answer any questions. She began her remarks by saying just before 10 a.m., over 85,000 voters had cast their ballot in Harris County.
As of 7 p.m., 318,811 voters had cast their ballots in Harris County. There are still ballots being cast as any voter who was in line to vote when the polls closed at 7 p.m. will be allowed to vote.
After the polls closed, Hudspeth said Harris County had a “successful, smooth,” election.
“Our team has been working hard to create a strong election infrastructure to receive voters today and so far so good,” Hudspeth said. “Even with inclement weather this morning, so let’s not let the rain hold us back from voting in record numbers, Harris County.”
FULL CONFERENCE BELOW:
She also shared some tips with voters to ensure they’re properly prepared when they head to the polls including:
- Make a plan to vote
- Know which location is closest to you
- Look at your sample ballot
- Make sure you have one of the acceptable forms of I.D.
All of this comes on the heels of a heated battle between the state, local counties, and the federal government, with all eyes anxiously awaiting the results.
EXPLAINER: Why you may see more police officers at voting polls on Election Day
According to NBC, over 72 million Americans have already cast their ballots. They also reported that of the early votes cast, 40% came from Republicans, 40% from Democrats, and 20% from others.
Statewide, the Texas Secretary of State reports that 47% of registered voters voted early. Harris County even set a new record, with nearly 46% of registered voters casting early ballots on the first day, while Fort Bend and Montgomery counties saw 54% early turnout.
RELATED: Harris County sets new record for early voter turnout ahead of Election Day
Last Friday, Hudspeth wanted to assure voters there would not be a shortage of ballot papers, which some precincts experienced in 2022.
“We’ve done many things here in Harris County to address paper concerns of the past. In the last year that I’ve run elections, we’ve had more than enough paper and did a software upgrade to ensure less paper needs to be printed,” she said.
SEE ALSO: Texas Rangers find no evidence of efforts to sway 2022 election results in Harris County