Voter turnout in Harris County during presidential election years is on point with other large counties in Texas, but turnout typically remains below 25 percent for most gubernatorial and local elections, according to election office data.
"Many citizens don't vote because voting is considered costly—finding one's polling location, researching candidates and taking time away from work can cost a prospective voter time and money," said Brandon Rottinghaus, associate professor of political science at the University of Houston.
The number of registered voters in Harris County has remained steady at around 1.8 or 1.9 million people for the last decade, but there has been a marked rise in the number of early voters, specifically in midterm elections, said Hector DeLeon, director of voter outreach with the Harris County clerk's office. In the 2002 mid-term election, 71 percent of voters who participated in the election cast their ballot on Election Day, compared to 68 percent in 2006. The number decreased again in 2010 to 43 percent, DeLeon said.
"When it comes to early voting, the history shows that in the last three midterm elections, the number of people who vote early is steadily increasing," DeLeon said. "We expect that probably more than half of the voters who will vote [this November] will have done so by the end of early voting."
Although early voting numbers are up, turnout in smaller local elections, such as Cy-Fair ISD bond referendums, typically remains at or below 10 percent. In the most recent Cy-Fair ISD bond election last May, 5 percent of registered voters in the district decided the outcome of the $1.2 billion bond referendum.
"With a local election, your vote has more of an impact," Superintendent Mark Henry said. "Local governing bodies have a direct effect over your life."
Although there are no CFISD bond or board elections this fall, Henry said he plans to communicate with the district's 14,000 employees to ensure they are aware of the election dates and issues before them. In the months and weeks leading up to an election, the Harris County clerk's office puts out information through social media, billboards and the media to inform voters, DeLeon said.
"Part of what we do as an office is to try and get information out pertaining to the various aspects of the election process in conjunction with important dates on the election calendar," he said.
Residents can also view their specific ballot online at www.harrisvotes.org to prepare for the Nov. 4 election.
"What we do here is provide the access and infrastructure to go vote, but people will respond to what's on the ballot," DeLeon said. "It goes back to what's on the ballot and what kind of job candidates do to compel people to go vote.
"If you're 65 or over, disabled or won't be in the county during early voting or Election Day, you can vote by mail," DeLeon said. "If you are going to be here, there are 12 days before Election Day to go vote. When people say they live in Texas and didn't have time [to vote], that isn't a legitimate excuse."
Lane Lewis, chairman of the Harris County Democratic Party, said votes count more when fewer people turn out for an election.
"I always tell people that the closer [a candidate's] desk is to your front door, the more direct daily impact that will have on your day-to-day life," he said. "We should always be interested in who is in the White House and governor's office, but at the end of the day the local district attorney or judicial candidate's desk is closer to anyone here locally than the governor's mansion."
