The Presidential election is fast approaching, but voters don’t have to wait for Election Day to mark a ballot.
No-fault early voting is an increasingly popular tool voters are using to skip lines on Nov. 4, accounting for 37 percent of total votes cast in the 2004 Presidential election – an increase from 23 percent in 2000 and 16 percent in 1996, according to the Harris County Clerk’s Office.
Voters will also be able to participate in early voting through the end of the month, even if they can’t make it to the polls in person, said Director of Communications and Voter Outreach Hector DeLeon.
"Voters who are disabled, 65 or older, are absentee or are detained can still vote early by mail," DeLeon said. "Early by-mail voters could have had their ballots by as early as Jan. 1 this year."
Early by-mail, early in-person and Election Day voting gives Texans little excuse not to flex their democratic muscles, DeLeon said.
"People say they don’t have time to vote," DeLeon said. "In Texas, not having time to vote is not an excuse anymore."
County Clerk and Chief Elections Officer Beverly Kaufman has taken steps to encourage use of early voting in Harris County.
"We are implementing new and tested strategies during this election to decrease the waiting times for voters during early voting," Kaufman said in a press release.
Harris County will set the standard in Texas for early voting by opening 36 voting locations today, the most of any county in Texas.
The County Clerk’s Office said in a press release that the record number of early voting locations is aimed at increasing voting in underserved locations as well as designating large easily accessible venues to "achieve a more balanced distribution of voters."
As well as bringing polls to low-voting communities, Kaufman said she wants to maximize facilities for those areas with large voter turnout. Popular early voting locations such as the West Gray Street location will double the number of booths available to its voters.
With 36 venues to vote early and maximize numbers at busy locations, Harris County is projected to tally more than half a million votes this election year, the Houston Chronicle reported.
To further expedite the early voting process, voters who use a driver’s license as identification at the polls will be able to simply swipe their magnetic stripe to prove voting qualifications.
Starting today the County Clerk’s Office will provide daily briefings on early voting traffic and locations. For the locations of these briefings as well as more information on early voting, Harris County residents can visit www.harrisvotes.com
