The November election will reach well beyond the races at the top of the ballot. Across Greater Houston, voters will choose county officials, judges, city leaders, school trustees and district board members. Depending on where they live, they may also decide questions about school funding, public services, taxes and city policy.
Check your county’s sample ballot to confirm which races and candidates you can vote for. Republican, Democratic and Independent candidates are identified by the letters R, D, and I. An unexpired term contest fills the remainder of an existing term. Races with one candidate listed have one named candidate in the official records reviewed.
District boundaries may cross county lines, so the same election can appear in more than one county’s section.
A certified write-in candidate has qualified to run without having their name printed among the ballot choices. Voters must write in the candidate’s name using their county’s voting instructions.
Harris County’s official list includes these county office candidates:
| Office sought | Candidate |
|---|---|
| Harris County Judge | Vince Duncan; Marianne “Yan” Hess |
| Harris County Commissioner, Precinct 4 | Michelle Gwinn |
Check the official certification and your county’s voting instructions to see how write-in votes are handled. A name discussed online does not automatically constitute a certified write-in candidacy.
Use your individual sample ballot to identify the commissioner contests and justice-of-the-peace contests in which you can vote, along with any city, school district or special district elections. A county’s combined sample ballot may include races from several precincts; your ballot will include only the contests tied to your registered address.
County election websites provide sample ballots, and the Secretary of State’s November election page links to certified candidate information.
Early voting runs Oct. 19–30, and Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.
