HOUSTON — Harris County voters head to the polls again Saturday, Dec. 9, for the runoff election as Houstonians decide the city's next mayor, city controller and several city council seats.
There will be 450 voting centers open across Harris County from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, according to HarrisVotes.com. Enter your address in the upper left corner of this map of vote centers to find the location nearest you.
Sheila Jackson Lee and John Whitmire are battling to replace outgoing Mayor Sylvester Turner who couldn't run again because of term limits. The two Democratic powerhouses have been locked in an often heated race.
The Houston city controller runoff is between Chris Hollins and Orlando Sanchez.
Seven city council seats will also be decided in the runoff.
Unofficial early voting totals showed 120,155 people voted in person and 11,732 voted by mail for a total of 131,887.
You can see the full list of races heading to a runoff in the list below.
Harris County runoff races on the ballot
City of Houston, Mayor
John Whitmire | Sheila Jackson Lee
City of Houston, City Controller
Chris Hollins | Orlando Sanchez
City of Houston, Council Member, At-large Position 1
Julian Ramirez | Melanie Miles
City of Houston, Council Member, At-large Position 2
Willie Davis | Nick Hellyar
City of Houston, Council Member, At-large Position 3
Richard Cantu | Twila Carter
City of Houston, Council Member, At-large Position 4
Roy Morales | Letitia Plummer
City of Houston, Council Member, District D
Travis McGee | Carolyn Evans-Shabazz
City of Houston, Council Member, District G
Tony Buzbee | Mary Nan Huffman
City of Houston, Council Member, District H
Cynthia Reyes Revilla | Mario Castillo
City of Baytown, Council Member District No. 4
Kim Kosteck | James Franco
City of Bellaire, Mayor
Aaron Perry | Gus E. Pappas
Sample ballots
Harris County makes it easy to find your sample ballot. Just fill out a form with your name and address and they'll give you a ballot.
Requirements to vote in Texas
State law requires you to register 30 days prior to the election in which you wish to vote. An applicant’s spouse, parent, or child (acting as an agent) may complete and sign a voter registration application as long as they are a registered voter or have applied for voter registration.
- You must be a United States citizen.
- You must be at least 18 years old by Election Day.
- Have not been declared totally mentally incapacitated or partially mentally incapacitated without the right to vote by a final judgment of a court exercising probate jurisdiction
- If convicted of a felony, you must have fully completed the sentence, including any term of incarceration, parole or supervision; or completed a period of probation ordered by any court; or been pardoned or otherwise released from the resulting disability to vote.
How do I find out if I'm registered to vote?
- Anyone can check their registration in less than two minutes through the Texas Secretary of State. All you need is your name, county and date of birth. More voter registration information in Texas.
- Specifically, for Harris County, you can verify your voter registration information on HarrisVotes.org. Simply click on "Voter Registration," then select "Voter Registration Search." By inputting your name or address, you can find your voter registration record.
Voter ID requirements
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.