Election Guide
50-70 races. Most voters only know the top 3. Here is how to research all of them.
11 min read | Sources: HarrisVotes.com, Texas Secretary of State, Vote411.org
The president does not decide whether your street gets repaved. Your county commissioner does.
The president does not set your property tax rate. Your school board, county government, and city council do.
The president does not decide whether you sit in jail for months before trial. Your district court judge does.
A typical Harris County general election ballot has 50 to 70 races on it. Presidential years add congressional races and state legislative races to the usual county and city contests. Most voters come prepared for the top 3 races and guess on everything else.
This guide is about not guessing.
Source: HarrisVotes.com, Harris County historical ballot data
Before we talk about what is on the ballot, it is worth remembering that millions of Americans fought for decades just to get one.
Schoolhouse Rock: Sufferin' Till Suffrage -- the history of voting rights in America
The original Constitution let states decide who could vote. Most states limited it to white men who owned property.
1870: The 15th Amendment prohibited denying the vote based on race. States found workarounds -- poll taxes, literacy tests, grandfather clauses.
1920: The 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote. 72 years of organizing.
1965: The Voting Rights Act banned discriminatory voting practices. Signed after Bloody Sunday in Selma.
1971: The 26th Amendment lowered the voting age to 18.
Every one of these expansions was fought for by ordinary people who decided their voice mattered.
Source: National Archives, Voting Rights Act of 1965
Here is every category of race you will see, from top to bottom of the ballot.
Harris County Election Facts
Do the work before you walk in. These free tools make it straightforward.
Texas is one of 6 states that uses partisan elections for its highest courts. That means every judge on your ballot -- from the Texas Supreme Court to your local county court -- runs with a party label next to their name.
In Harris County, this has produced 'sweeps' where one party wins every judicial seat in a wave election. In 2018, Democrats swept all 59 judicial races in Harris County. Some of those judges had decades of experience and high bar association ratings.
Whether you think judicial elections are good or bad, the reality is this: your vote on judges matters. These are the people who decide bail amounts, sentence lengths, custody disputes, and contract enforcement.
Research them. The Houston Bar Association poll at hba.org is the best place to start.
Source: Brennan Center for Justice, Houston Bar Association, Texas Judicial Branch
Go to harrisvotes.com and click Sample Ballot Lookup. Enter your name and date of birth. Save or print the result.
Go to vote411.org, enter your address, and read candidate responses side by side. Spend 30 minutes. You will walk into the booth prepared.
Visit hba.org for the Houston Bar Association judicial evaluation poll. These ratings come from attorneys who have appeared before each judge.
Visit votetexas.gov and click 'Am I Registered?' Texas requires registration 30 days before election day. Do not wait.