Grace Hatfield/Houston Public Media
A sign outside an early voting site at Nottingham Park in West Houston, Oct. 15, 2020.
Early voting starts Tuesday for the March 3 primary elections, which will determine which candidates will appear on the ballot for the November midterm.
Early voting in Harris County and across Texas runs from Feb. 17-27. Harris County’s 60 early voting locations will be open during the following hours:
7 a.m.-7 p.m. Feb. 17-21
noon-7 p.m. Feb. 22
7 a.m.-7 p.m. Feb. 23-27
During early voting, the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO) will be offering free round-trip rides to and from polling locations. The free rides will be available on local METRO buses, METRO’s light rail lines, curb2curb and METROLift service. To qualify for the free rides, voters must show the operator or fare inspector either their voter ID or other approved documentation.
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Election Day is on Tuesday, March 3. Harris County will have over 200 polling locations open on Election Day from 7 a.m.-7 p.m.
More information on how to vote in the primary — including what forms of ID are acceptable and what can be brought into a polling location — can be found in Houston Public Media’s voting guide.
Voters registered in Harris County can cast their primary ballot at any polling location across the county, regardless of where they live. Primary elections in Texas are considered “open,” meaning that anyone, regardless of their party affiliation, can vote in either the Republican or Democratic primary.
However, voters are only able to vote in one primary. So, if someone votes in the Republican primary, they are not able to vote in the Democratic primary, and vice versa, during that election.
RELATED: Here’s who will be on March primary ballots in the Houston area
March’s primary election features several key races, including for one of Texas’ two seats in the U.S. Senate. Incumbent Sen. John Cornyn is being challenged in the Republican primary by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt from Houston, while U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett and state Rep. James Talarico are the Democratic frontrunners.
Other statewide primaries will include the races for governor, attorney general, lieutenant governor, comptroller, land commissioner, railroad commissioner and agriculture commissioner. Several state supreme court candidates will also be on the ballot.
On the local level, several county offices will be on the ballot, including the races for county judge in Harris, Fort Bend, Galveston and Montgomery counties.
Last year, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo announced that she would not be running for reelection. Former Houston Mayor Annise Parker, former Houston City Council member Letitia Plummer and Matt Salazar will be vying for the Democratic nomination. The Republican candidates are Houston firefighters union leader Marty Lancton, former city council member Orlando Sanchez, Aliza Dutt, Oscar Gonzales, Warren A. Howell and George Harry Zoes.