Harris Co. closing in on 600K early voters after 1st 5 days
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- On the first Saturday of the early voting, Harris County saw a brisk 65,481 voters tap on ballot screens, continuing a historic first five days of the period.
The county clerk's office also reported 8,807 mail ballots came in on the same day.
After Saturday, Harris County is closing in on 600,000 people voting. In total, 585,963 people have voted so far.
Polls are slated to open from noon until 7 p.m. on Sunday.
"It's another record shattering day for Harris County as opposed to any presidential year, and we're excited that so many Texans are coming out to have their voices heard at the poll," said Chris Hollins, the Harris County Clerk.
Pablo Eisner brought his entire family out while he and his wife exercised their right to vote at the Rice University polling location.
"For us, this is a really important day," Eisner said. "We can have an impact on the politics we look at every day, and this is our little way of saying 'This is our opinion and make it count.'"
Eisner said it took maybe five minutes to vote from start to finish.
Harris County has seen more than half a million voters over the past four days.
In Galveston County, Judge Mark Henry signed an executive order on Friday stating poll workers will be fined $1,000 for turning away maskless voters. Henry also revealed he was turned away for not wearing a mask, and that he refused to wear one when asked.
Hollins said Harris County has not experienced a similar issue like in Galveston County, and do not anticipate to.
"We're supporting every voters right to cast their ballots," Hollins said. But we are grateful that 99% of voters are coming in wearing their mask. This has not been a significant issue for us, and we're thankful to all the Harris County residents and voters for following that protocol."
Hollins also said the Harris County Clerk's Office has received positive reviews from voters about the drive-thru and curbside voting locations.
"Folks who are committed to voter suppression are not giving up," Hollins said. "They are trying everything they can to throw obstacles in the way of the voters, to confuse voters, and ultimately make it less likely that you are going to make your voice heard at the polls, but we're going to protect your right to vote at every turn. We're going to make it easier for you and we're going to give you all the information that you need."
To get real-time updates, visit the Harris County Votes website.
