If staff can be found, there is potential for nearly 200 additional voting locations to be available in Harris County

The Harris County Democratic party has issued an urgent call for workers with just a month left before the primary Election Day.

On Election Day, Harris County voters may have access to significantly more locations. The number of locations has increased from 350 in 2020 to nearly 550 this year.

According to County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth, as many as 6,500 workers are needed to support these additional locations. Hudspeth informed county commissioners last week that efforts are underway to recruit sufficient election workers, emphasizing that this responsibility lies with the parties.

The primary’s dynamics have changed due to new state legislation mandating more polling places. Rice University Political Science Professor Mark Jones explains, “Because of new state legislation that requires a smaller number of voters per polling site, Harris County has to have more Election Day vote centers on March 5.”

Both parties are mandated to staff the locations. Harris County Republican Party Chairperson Cindy Siegel stated, “Early voting alternate judges and clerks are almost entirely filled,” adding that efforts are ongoing to place judges and clerks for Election Day.

The Harris County Democratic Party stated that they have appointed election judges for around 480 locations but still need to recruit a significant number of clerks.

According to Jones, if either party fails to staff enough workers and polling sites shut down, responsibility falls on the respective party.

A recent University of Houston study of 1,500 voters revealed significant influencers in Republican voter decisions. Donald Trump’s endorsement was highlighted as highly influential, along with Gov. Greg Abbott and Sen. Ted Cruz. Attorney General Ken Paxton was found to have less influence.

The study also highlighted key issues influencing voters, suggesting that incumbents who voted against school choice face more challenges than those who voted for the impeachment of Ken Paxton.

With just a month remaining, both parties are striving to provide voters with more locations while grappling with the challenge of recruiting sufficient staff.