Everything you need to know as early voting begins for November general election
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Early voting begins Monday at more than 60 polling locations in Harris County.
In Houston, voters are tasked with choosing the city's next mayor and city council. Statewide, there are several constitutional amendments on the ballot.
If you want to avoid the long lines and crowds on Election Day, early voting is the easiest way to cast your ballot.
SEE ALSO: Everything you need to know before voting for Houston's new mayor in November election
Harris County voters can stop by one of 68 voting centers that opened Monday for early voting ahead of the Nov. 7 election. The polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily except for Sunday, Oct. 29, when hours are from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.
This is the first election since the state did away with the position of Harris County Elections Administrator so now, things will be left up to the County Clerk.
RELATED: With voting approaching, Harris County officials explain what's different for a smoother process
Election officials said they made some changes that they hope will make things run smoothly, including increasing the number of training sessions for poll workers and adding technicians to every voting site. They also doubled the amount of paper at each location to avoid running out.
"I feel confident that we have done everything that we possibly could to prepare in such a pretty small time frame, but I feel confident that this election will run smoothly," Harris County Clerk Tanish Hudspeth said.
Early voting runs from Oct. 23 through Nov. 3.
Voters can still request a mail-in ballot through Oct. 27, and they must be sent in by Nov. 7.
Houston METRO is providing free round-trip service to the polls through the early voting period and on Election Day.
Voters just need to inform the bus operator or fare inspector that they are going to or returning from the polls.
For polling locations and more information on voting in the Texas General Election in Harris County, visit harrisvotes.com.
SEE ALSO: Houston mayor's contest is 2-person race, new poll shows
