Election Time! Early Voting In Texas Primary Began Yesterday

HOUSTON, TX — Texas leads the nation in kicking off the 2018 mid-term elections, and early voting for the Primary in the Lone Star State begins at 8 a.m. Tuesday in Harris County. Early voting continues through Texas Independence Day - March 2 . The General Election for the Republican and Democrat Primary will be Tuesday, March 6.

Per the Harris County Elections website, here are the voting hours for early voting in the Primary:

• February 20 - February 23: 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
• February 24: 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.
• February 25: 1 - 6 p.m.
• February 26 - March 2: 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. 

There are 46 early voting locations, and here they are. They include: Inside I-610 Loop, Outside I-610 Loop and Outside Beltway 8 Loop.

Fort Bend County Early Voting Polling Locations

Montgomery County Early Voting Polling Locations

At stake in this election are:

• U.S. Senator (incumbent is Ted Cruz)
• All U.S. House of Representatives
• Governor (incumbent is Greg Abbott)
• Lt. Governor (incumbent is Dan Patrick)
• Several state seats
• All State House Seats
• Most State Senate Seats
• Half of the county Seats
• Other various local items

The county made it easy to find what's on your local ballot just by typing in your address here.

Also, a photo ID must be shown when voting, and here are acceptable forms.

In addition to the candidates on the ballot, here are the propositions on each ballot. NOTE: Republican and Democrat propositions differ.

Here is the full list of ballot propositions submitted by the SREC for inclusion on the 2018 Republican General Primary Election ballot:

1. Texas should replace the property tax system with an appropriate consumption tax equivalent. Yes/No
2. No governmental entity should ever construct or fund construction of toll roads without voter approval. Yes/No
3. Republicans in the Texas House should select their Speaker nominee by secret ballot in a binding caucus without Democrat influence. Yes/No
4. Texas should require employers to screen new hires through the free E-Verify system to protect jobs for legal workers. Yes/No
5. Texas families should be empowered to choose from public, private, charter, or homeschool options for their children's education, using tax credits or exemptions without government constraints or intrusion. Yes/No
6. Texas should protect the privacy and safety of women and children in spaces such as bathrooms, locker rooms, and showers in all Texas schools and government buildings. Yes/No
7. I believe abortion should be abolished in Texas. Yes/No
8. Vote fraud should be a felony in Texas to help ensure fair elections. Yes/No
9. Texas demands that Congress completely repeal Obamacare. Yes/No
10. To slow the growth of property taxes, yearly revenue increases should be capped at 4%, with increases in excess of 4% requiring voter approval. Yes/No
11. Tax dollars should not be used to fund the building of stadiums for professional or semi-professional sports teams. Yes/No

The Texas Democratic Party has placed a dozen propositions on its ballot:

1. Should everyone in Texas have the right to quality public education from pre-k to 12th grade, and affordable college and career training without the burden of crushing student loan debt? Yes/No
2. Should everyone in Texas have the right to refinance student loan debt with the Federal Reserve at a 0% interest rate, as relief for the crushing burden of debt and an investment in the next generation of Americans? Yes/No
3. Should everyone in Texas have a right to healthcare, guaranteed by a universal, quality Medicare-for-all system? Yes/No
4. Should everyone in Texas have the right to economic security, where all workers have earned paid family and sick leave and a living wage that respects their hard work? Yes/No
5. Should the Democratic Party promote a national jobs program, with high wage and labor standards, to replace crumbling infrastructure and rebuild hurricane damaged areas, paid for with local, state, and federal bonds financed through the Federal Reserve at low interest with long term maturities? Yes/No
6. Should everyone in Texas have the right to clean air, safe water, and a healthy environment? Yes/No
7. Should everyone in Texas have the right to a life of dignity and respect, free from discrimination and harassment anywhere, including businesses and public facilities, no matter how they identify, the color of their skin, who they love, socioeconomic status, or from where they come? Yes/No
8. Should everyone in Texas have the right to affordable and accessible housing and modern utilities including high speed internet, free from any form of discrimination? Yes/No
9. Should every eligible Texan have the right to vote, made easier by automatic voter registration, the option to vote by mail, a state election holiday, and no corporate campaign influence, foreign interference, or illegal gerrymandering? Yes/No
10. Should everyone in Texas have the right to a fair criminal justice system that treats people equally and puts an end to the mass incarceration of young people of color for minor offenses? Yes/No
11. Should there be a just and fair comprehensive immigration reform solution that includes an earned path to citizenship for law-abiding immigrants and their children, keeps families together, protects DREAMers, and provides workforce solutions for businesses? Yes/No
12. Should everyone in Texas have the right to a fair tax system, where all interests (business, corporations, and individuals) pay their share, so that state government meets its obligations? Yes/No

-Scott McDonald of the Patch.com Staff