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Texas 2020 Elections

Kamala Harris to visit Rio Grande Valley, Fort Worth and Houston during Texas campaign swing Friday

The vice presidential nominee and U.S. senator from California will swing through the state on the final day of early voting before Tuesday's election.

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Democratic 2020 presidential candidate and Sen. Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign event at Texas Southern University on Saturday, March 23, 2019 in Houston.
U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, is expected to visit Fort Worth, Houston and McAllen on Friday, the last day of early voting before Tuesday's election. Credit: Pu Ying Huang for The Texas Tribune

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Kamala Harris’ trip to Texas on Friday will include three stops across the state, including in the Rio Grande Valley, according to Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s campaign.

Biden’s running mate is set to visit to Fort Worth, Houston and McAllen.

Fort Worth’s Tarrant County was the state’s most populous county that Republican President Donald Trump won in 2016. But voters there broke slightly for Democrat Beto O’Rourke in his failed 2018 U.S. Senate contest against Ted Cruz.

Voting in Texas

  • When was the last day to register to vote?

    The deadline to register to vote in the 2020 general election was Oct. 5. Check if you’re registered to vote here. If not, you’ll need to fill out and submit an application, which you can request here or download here.

  • When can I vote early?

    Early voting for the 2020 general election runs from Oct. 13 to Oct. 30. Voters can cast ballots at any polling location in the county where they are registered to vote during early voting. Election Day is Nov. 3.

  • How will voting be different because of the pandemic?

    In general, polling locations will have guidelines in place for social distancing and regular cleaning. Several counties will offer ballot marking devices so voters avoid contact with election equipment. Poll workers will likely be wearing face masks and other protective equipment, but masks will not be required for voters.

  • How do I know if I qualify to vote by mail?

    Texas is one of just a few states that hasn’t opened up mail-in voting to any voter concerned about getting COVID-19 at a polling place. You can find eligibility requirements and review other questions about voting by mail here.

  • Are polling locations the same on Election Day as they are during early voting?

    Not always. You’ll want to check for open polling locations with your local elections office before you head out to vote. Additionally, you can confirm with your county elections office whether Election Day voting is restricted to locations in your designated precinct or if you can cast a ballot at any polling place.

  • Can I still vote if I have COVID-19?

    Yes. If you have been diagnosed with COVID-19 or are exhibiting symptoms, consider requesting an emergency mail-in ballot or using curbside voting. Contact your county elections office for more details about both options.

  • See our voter guide 

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Houston’s Harris County is the state’s most populous county, has become more Democratic in recent cycles and has already seen more than 1.1 million voters cast ballots during early voting.

McAllen is a major city in the Valley, a politically important region given its high concentration of Latino voters, who typically tend to lean more Democratic. The announcement of Harris’ visit to the border city is notable considering a New York Times/Siena College poll on Monday gave Trump a 4-point lead in the state, which was bolstered, in part, by Hispanic voters.

Word got out Sunday that Harris, a California U.S. senator, would be visiting Texas on Friday, though it was not clear where she would go within the state.

Her Texas tour will come on the last day of early voting in the state. Further details on her stops were not immediately available, but they are expected to mirror events she has done recently in other states to mobilize early voters.

Harris will be the highest-profile Biden surrogate to come to Texas in the general election yet, following visits in recent weeks by Biden’s wife, Jill Biden, and Harris’ husband, Doug Emhoff. The campaign’s increased attention on Texas comes as polls continue to show a close race in the traditionally red state.

Harris’ visit is not the only notable activity by the Biden campaign this week in Texas. It is also launching a surrogate bus tour Wednesday, lasting three days and hitting 14 cities.

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