Since Dedra Harris became eligible to vote in the early 1980s, she’s missed one election — because she was having brain surgery — and she wasn’t about to break that streak in this year’s midterms.
“This is the most important election of our lifetime,” the 64-year-old said as she handed out push cards for Harris County judges outside the Acres Homes Multi-Service Center. She acknowledged with a smile that people say that about every contest, particularly in presidential election years, but there’s a heavy weight around these midterms, she said.
“We’ve got to have justice,” she said. “I want to be able to sleep at night knowing that I’m safe.”
Houston native Mingo Fonseca (stage name DJ MingoMixx) spun Jackson Five and Temptations tunes at the Acres Homes polling place as part of the nationwide DJs at the Polls movement. “I’m just here for the vibe. I bring the music; you bring the vote,” Fonseca said. “We want to remind people that this election is important and your vote matters, and we want you to have fun while you’re out here.”
Fonseca didn’t go into specifics about why the election is important, but Acres Homes Community Advocacy Group volunteer Anita Bell did. “We just can’t afford life anymore,” she said. “There’s a lot of month left at the end of your money. We need elected officials who are going to listen to us. Right now people feel like they are not being heard.”
Across town at the massive Harris County Elections Headquarters building on Morales, Harris County Clerk Tenehia Hudspeth acknowledged she hasn’t had much time to spend on her own bid for re-election. Last week she had to respond to a lawsuit from Attorney General Ken Paxton claiming her office was targeting Black and brown voters to get out the vote while ignoring other demographic groups.
Hudspeth called the legal filing a distraction and said she wasn’t into playing politics. Her staff removed the social media tags that pushed messaging to certain potential voters and the matter is resolved, she said.
On Tuesday around 10:30 a.m., Hudspeth had already welcomed federal election monitors to observe polling places and dealt with the BakerRipley Community Center at Gulfton voting site that wasn’t ready when the polls opened at 7 a.m. She also checked on the call center volunteers who were fielding questions about registration and voter intimidation claims.
By mid-morning on Election Day, more than 86,000 Harris County voters had already cast ballots, adding to the 1 million who voted early. By 1 p.m., the number of Election Day voters surpassed 100,000.
Hudspeth reminded voters that the polls will stay open for anyone who is already in line at 7 p.m., and in Harris County, voters can cast ballots at any of the 623 polling locations across the county.
Throughout the 12-day early voting period, the challenges were minimal, Hudspeth said, noting that she wasn’t worried about potentially bad weather, the lawsuit from the attorney general’s office or the fact that federal election monitors are in town. When asked for more information about the BakerRipley location that didn’t open on time Tuesday morning, she said the problem was swiftly addressed and the site was up and running.
Hudspeth said that over the 21 years that she’s worked in the clerk’s office, she’s learned it’s beneficial to prepare but not to worry. “I learned what to do and what not to do, and one of those things I learned not to do is worry,” she said. “We’ve been preparing for this election for the entire year.”
“We are doing our jobs and we are doing our jobs well,” she added. “We are following the law. I’m not into any distractions. I’m into doing my job and making sure that all Harris County voters have access and the information they need.”
The poll monitor procedure is standard, she said, particularly during presidential elections and midterm elections.
“Voters should be concerned about casting their ballot, not about monitors,” she said. “Everyone is in their rightful place doing exactly what they’re supposed to be doing here in Harris County. We want to encourage people not to sit all day and wait. If rain does come, this is the perfect time to get out there and not get caught in traffic and cast your ballot.”
Check the Harris Votes website or smartphone application for election results, and follow the Houston Press for reaction and commentary.
