Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect the approval of two additional early voting days for the Congressional District 18 special runoff election.
Updated Jan. 26, 2:39 p.m.
A Harris County district judge granted an emergency court order on Jan. 26 to extend early voting in the runoff election for Texas’ 18th Congressional District after severe winter weather forced the closure of polling places Jan. 25-26.
The order requires Harris County to open all early voting locations from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Jan. 28 and from noon-7 p.m. Jan. 29 to restore the voting hours lost when polls closed due to hazardous weather conditions.
For a complete list of polling locations, click here.
Original story posted Jan. 26, 1:09 p.m.
After two days of early voting were cancelled due to inclement weather, both candidates in the special runoff election for Congressional District 18 are calling for an extension.
What happened
A special election was held Nov. 4 to fill the vacant congressional seat following the death of incumbent Sylvester Turner in March.
The special election, which has 16 candidates, resulted in a runoff election between the top two vote-getters: Christian D. Menefee and Amanda Edwards. The winner of the special runoff election will serve Congressional District 18 for the remainder of Turner's unexpired term, which ends in January 2027.
Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth announced Jan. 24 that all early voting centers would be closed Jan. 25-26 due to inclement weather. Early voting was originally slated to run Jan. 21-27 with election day Jan. 31.
"The safety of voters, election workers, and staff must come first," Hudspeth said in a Jan. 24 news release. "This decision was made in close coordination with state and local emergency management officials."
Hudspeth noted the Harris County Clerk's Office would continue to monitor the evolving weather situation and provide reopening plans as soon as conditions improve.
What they're saying
On Jan. 25, organizations including the Texas Civil Rights Project, Houston Justice and Pure Justice announced they had filed a lawsuit to expand early voting. According to a Jan. 25 statement from Houston Justice officials, Texas law does not allow local officials to extend early voting on their own, which prompted the lawsuit.
"Losing additional early voting days further limits access for working people, seniors, voters with disabilities, and residents who rely on public transportation," officials with Houston Justice said in a Jan. 25 statement. "When common-sense solutions are blocked, the courts are the only option to protect voters' access to the ballot."
Both Democratic candidates, Menefee and Edwards, said they were in support of extending early voting.
- "Folks in TX-18 have already gone nearly a year without a voice in Congress. We shouldn't have to settle for just five days to vote early in such an important election," Menefee said in a Jan. 25 statement.
- "The 18th Congressional District should have early voting extended by two days in light of the Sunday and Monday early voting cancellations stemming from inclement weather," Edwards said in a Jan. 25 statement. "This district has waited long enough to ... get its voice and vote back so I am in agreement with the civil action filed to extend the dates."
Stay tuned
The last day of early voting is scheduled to take place Jan. 27 from 7 a.m.- 7 p.m. As all Harris County Clerk's Office locations are likewise closed Jan. 26, it is unclear as of press time if early voting will resume Jan. 27 as planned.
On election day, Jan. 31, the polls will be open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. For a complete list of polling locations, click here.
