Harris County clerk on Super Tuesday ballot count: ‘It will be a long night’

The anticipation surrounding the Harris County election results was palpable as ballots continued to roll in, although County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth cautioned that it would be a lengthy process, unable to provide an estimated time for the unofficial results. By Tuesday afternoon, Hudspeth shared an update, revealing that over 70,000 ballots had been cast in person at 545 vote centers, with election workers fielding around 800 calls primarily related to equipment issues. Later, the Harris County Elections Department announced on X, previously Twitter, that over 141,000 total in-person votes had been recorded by 6 p.m. Additionally, Hudspeth noted that 200,000 votes were cast during the early voting period, including two from astronauts aboard the International Space Station, emphasizing the county’s size and the meticulous nature of the counting process.

Acknowledging the scale of the task, Hudspeth emphasized that the counting process would indeed “take time.” While voting operations appeared to be proceeding smoothly, Hudspeth stressed the need for patience in obtaining the unofficial count, hinting at an extended night due to the county’s vast size and numerous polling locations. She also addressed the voting issue encountered earlier by Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg, clarifying that corrective measures had been swiftly implemented to rectify the situation and ensure Ogg could cast her ballot without further incident.

Meanwhile, officials in neighboring counties such as Fort Bend reported that operations were running smoothly, providing a stark contrast to the challenges faced in Harris County.