HOUSTON — Tens of thousands of Texas voters aren't waiting until Election Day on Nov. 8 to cast their ballots. Early voting began Monday and continues through Nov. 4.
Harris County reported 60,834 people voted Monday.
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. except on Sunday, Oct. 30 when they're open from noon to 7 p.m. Voters can go to any of the 99 polling locations in the county where they're registered.
RELATED: November election voter guide: Early voting; vote by mail; ID you need to vote; sample ballots
The first day of early voting went smoothly for the most part, according to the Harris County elections administrator. There were delays at the East Harris County Activity Center because 10 of their machines weren't set up properly.
Here's an easy way to find your nearest location and check the wait times in advance. Just enter your address below and click on the location to see how many people are currently in line and the estimated wait time.
Some locations weren't being updated on Monday because of staff shortages.
With seven pages, Harris County has the longest ballot in the state so leave yourself plenty of time and do your homework in advance. You're allowed to print a sample ballot in advance and bring it with you.
"So I actually had already gone and taken a look at all the candidates ahead of time. So I had an idea of what I wanted going in," one voter said.
"Just doing some homework at home before coming out, that paid dividends. It really did," one voter told KHOU 11 reporter Maria Aguilera.
Don't keep your notes on your cell phone though because you're not allowed to use it while voting.
At one of the busiest spots, the Metropolitan Multi-Service Center on West Gray, the average time for the entire process was about 45 minutes. Voters said they were very organized so it went quickly.
"Very organized. Everyone was really friendly and informational," "I was able to figure out what I needed to do."
"Once inside, it goes so smoothly. It was just beautifully run, and I already had actually filled out a sample ballot at home because I really do study these," another voter said.
Voter ID requirements in Texas
If you've confirmed you are registered, but don't have or never received your voter registration card, here's what you need to know. Under Texas law, voters can use one of the seven acceptable forms of photo identification at the polls when voting in person.
- Texas driver's license issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)
- Texas election identification certificate issued by DPS
- Texas personal identification card issued by DPS
- Texas handgun license issued by DPS
- United States Military ID card with photo
- United States citizenship certificate with photo
- United States passport (book or card)
Voters who don't have and can't "reasonably obtain" one of the seven approved forms of photo ID may fill out a Reasonable Impediment Declaration (RID) (PDF) at the polls and present an alternative form of ID, such as a utility bill, bank statement, government check or a voter registration certificate.