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Vice President Kamala Harris is heading to Houston on Friday for a campaign rally, a surprise visit that comes in the closing weeks of a campaign in which she has largely focused her efforts on other states seen as more competitive.
The visit marks Harris’ first trip to Texas since she officially clinched the Democratic presidential nomination more than two months ago. Public polling has consistently shown Harris trailing Republican nominee Donald Trump by several percentage points in Texas, which no Democratic presidential nominee has carried since Jimmy Carter in 1976.
In 2020, Trump defeated Democrat Joe Biden in Texas by 5.6 percentage points, the narrowest margin for a GOP nominee since 1996.
The location of Harris’ rally has yet to be announced. It is slated to take place at some point between 3 and 8 p.m. Friday, according to a Democratic National Committee event page.
Harris’ visit signals national Democrats’ renewed interest in the race between Republican Sen. Ted Cruz and his Democratic challenger, U.S. Rep. Colin Allred of Dallas. Though Cruz remains favored, the contest is seen as one of Democrats’ few viable options to pick up a seat in the upper chamber, and an Allred win would be critical to Harris’ hopes of working with a Democratic Senate majority should she win in November.
Cruz leads Allred by an average of about 4 percentage points, according to FiveThirtyEight’s rolling average of recent public polls.
Early voting began Monday and is set to continue through Nov. 1. Election Day is Nov. 5.
Harris last visited Texas on Aug. 1 to deliver the eulogy at a funeral service for Sheila Jackson Lee, the longtime Houston congresswoman who died earlier this year amid a battle with pancreatic cancer. Harris also visited Texas twice in July: She delivered a speech in Dallas at the annual convention of the historically Black sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha, and she visited Houston for a briefing on Hurricane Beryl recovery and to address the American Federation of Teachers’ national convention.
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Voting FAQ: 2024 Elections
When is the next election? What dates do I need to know?
Election Day for the general election is November 5, and early voting will run from Oct. 21 to Nov. 1. The deadline to register to vote and/or change your voter registration address is Oct. 7. Applications to vote by mail must be received by your county of residence – not postmarked – by Oct. 25.
What’s on the ballot for the general election?
In addition to the president, eligible Texans have the opportunity to cast their ballots for many Texas officials running for office at the federal, state and local levels.
This includes representatives in the U.S. and Texas houses and the following elected offices:
-1 U.S Senator (Ted Cruz)
- 1 of 3 Railroad Commissioners
- 15 State Senators
- 7 State Board of Education members
- 3 members of the Texas Supreme Court
- 3 members of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
- 5 Chief Justices and various justices for Texas Courts of Appeals
Lower-level judges and local county offices will also appear on the ballot:
- Various district judges, including on criminal and family courts
- County Courts at Law
- Justices of the Peace
- District Attorneys
- County Attorneys
- Sheriffs
- Constables
- Tax Assessor-Collectors
You must be registered to vote in a Texas county by Oct. 7 to vote in the Nov. 5 presidential election. You can still register for other elections.
If you’re registered but didn’t update your address by the deadline, you may still be able to vote at your previous voting location or on a limited ballot. (Voters are typically assigned precincts based on where they live. In most major counties, voters can vote anywhere on Election Day, but some counties require you vote within your precinct. If that is the case, you may have to return to your previous precinct. See which counties allow countywide Election Day voting here. You can usually find your precinct listed on your voter registration certificate or on when checking your registration online.)
If you moved from one county to another, you may be able to vote on a ballot limited to the elections you would qualify to vote in at both locations, such as statewide races. However, limited ballots are only available during early voting. Find your county election official here and contact them to ask about or request a limited ballot.
What can I do if I have questions about voting?
You can contact your county elections official or call the Texas Secretary of State's helpline at 1-800-252-VOTE (8683). A coalition of voting rights groups is also helping voters navigate election concerns through the 866-OUR-VOTE (687-8683) voter-protection helpline. The coalition also has hotlines available for voters who speaker other languages or have accessibility needs.
For help in Spanish, call 888-VE-Y-VOTA or 888-839-8682.
For help in Asian languages, call 888-API-VOTE or 888-274-8683.
For help in Arabic, call 888-YALLA-US or 888-925-5287.
For help in American Sign Language through a video, call 301-818-VOTE or 301-818-8683.
For help from Disability Rights Texas, call 888-796-VOTE or 888-796-8683.
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