Casting a ballot in Harris County? Check this guide before you vote in largest county in Texas

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Election Day is finally here, and while the odds of knowing clear winners Tuesday night seem slim, there's still plenty of reason - and time - to get out your vote in Harris County.

More than 1.2 million people voted early in Harris, the third largest county in the U.S. and the largest in Texas, said Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth.

SEE ALSO: Harris County is prepared and confident ahead of presidential election, official says

As of 10 a.m. Tuesday, more than 85,000 voters had cast their ballot in Harris County, Hudspeth added.

If you still need to vote, here's what you should know as you head to the polls.

Where can I vote in Harris County?

All 700 vote centers that were available during early voting are open for voters on Election Day as well.

"Harris County voters should know you can go anywhere. Much like early voting, you can choose any vote center that's most convenient or close to you," Hudspeth explained.

The polls are open until 7 p.m. and you can't be turned away as long as you're already in line.

In fact, Hudspeth anticipates a rush between 5 - 7 p.m. as people get off work, and due to those evening lines, expects it could be as late as 9 or 10 p.m. before all the voters are done.

"We will take as much time at those vote centers to vote all those voters, so buckle up because it's going to be a long night," Hudspeth said, adding that you can get real-time information on the lines at harrisvotes.com.

What should I know before I go?

Know what vote centers are closest to you and find your sample ballot as there are between 50-70 contests to choose from.

An acceptable form of ID is also key.

Your Voice, Your Vote: Everything you need to know for Election Day

In addition, if you have questions, you can call the Harris County Elections Department at 713-755-6965.

Can I wear anything that supports my candidate?

Enthusiasm for exercising your civic duty is great, but leave the campaign gear at home.

Voters aren't allowed to wear campaign shirts, ball caps, pins, or any other type of electioneering items within 100 feet of the polls, so cover it up or turn it inside out.

What can I take inside the booth?

You can take written materials, like a sample ballot or voter's guide, but you can't use your cellphone, cameras, or recording devices within 100 feet of the polls.

What if I have a mail-in ballot I'm still holding on to?

Well, today's the day to make it count.

If you have your ballot, you can actually take it to the Harris County administrative office at 1001 Preston in downtown Houston, Hudspeth said.

But don't just drop it and run. The actual voter must be the one to take it and you must show proof of ID.

You can also go to a vote center, surrender the mail-in ballot, and vote in person instead.

Any issues so far?

According to Hudspeth, there have been no major problems.

While Texas Southern University reported power outages on Monday, it didn't impact the vote center. Further, Hudspeth told reporters she spoke to TSU on Tuesday and the university had no power issues.

Elsewhere, some centers have seen brief outages, but all machines are backed up by batteries, Hudspeth said.

"No one stopped voting today and power was up within minutes at all of those vote centers," she explained.

She didn't give the affected locations, but said some issues were expected given the morning's wind and rain. Still, no generators were dispatched.

Hudspeth said 60% of service calls Tuesday had come from election judges who needed help before opening vote centers. Forty percent of calls came from voters wanting to check their voter registration status.

Questions about preparation are no surprise.

The county was heavily criticized for its election process in the 2021-22 election cycle. According to an audit, county election officials did not follow state-mandated rules for voter registration list maintenance, failed to adequately train election workers, and failed to estimate and supply the required amount of ballot paper.

This time, Hudpseth said Tuesday, they overstocked supplies, from documents to extra machines. They also have 12,000 election workers in the field.

Is it too late to register to vote in Texas?

As a reminder, the county clerk doesn't handle voter registration.

That honor goes to the tax-assessor collector and voter registrar. In Harris County, that's Ann Bennett.

In short, yes, it's too late to register to vote in this election.

You must be registered to vote at least 30 days before the election date.

You can, however, easily check your registration status online.

Texas does not have online voter registration.

How long will all of this take?

Great question. Hope you're not taking bets.

We know that Harris County will tally votes from its headquarters.

Per state law, no counting can begin until shortly after 7 p.m., when polls close. That includes early in-person votes and depending on the size of the county, mail-in ballots already received.

Results from Election Day could take a little longer because ballots must be transported to their county's central counting station.

By state law - Election Day totals must be submitted to the state 24 hours after polls close, so workers will count ballots through Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning.

We'll likely know who wins in Texas either Tuesday night or Wednesday morning.

Nationwide for the presidential race, it's another matter.

Remember, President Joe Biden wasn't declared the winner until the Saturday after the election in 2020. It all depends on how close the race is in key battleground states and how long it takes those states to count their mail-in ballots.