Harris County voters cast 104,201 ballots on the first day of early voting Monday, Oct. 19, nearly doubling the previous midterm record of about 63,000 set in 2018.

The Harris County Clerk's Office confirmed the milestone, first reported by Click2Houston. Lines stretched out the door at polling sites across the county. The record fell before polls closed.

More than 70,000 voters had been processed by 3:30 p.m., KHOU reported, with 3.5 hours of voting still left.

For Spring residents, two local polling sites are open: the George H W Bush Community Center at 6827 Cypresswood Drive and the Cactus Jack Cagle Community Center at 709 Riley Fuzzel Road, according to Harris County Elections. The Bush Community Center ranked fifth-busiest countywide on Oct. 19, recording 2,693 votes by 6 p.m.

County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth said the energy was evident from the start. By 10 a.m., more than 21,000 residents had already cast ballots, the Houston Press reported. Voters were lined up as early as 6 a.m. at some locations, Hudspeth told the Houston Press.

"I don't know that we're going to have a higher turnout than normal," Hudspeth told the Houston Press that morning. "It's just a feeling I've got in my bones, and I hope it sticks with us from now through Election Day."

Hudspeth, a Democrat, is on the Nov. 3 ballot herself, seeking reelection against Republican Mike Wolfe.

Voter Registrar Annette Ramirez said about 2.8 million people are registered to vote in Harris County, roughly 144,000 more than in 2024. Her office processed more than 144,000 voter registration applications between Aug. 17 and the Oct. 5 deadline, including about 51,000 new applications, CW39 reported.

Ramirez said a backlog of more than 75,000 voter registration records caused by a state-level technical issue at the Texas Department of Public Safety has been cleared.

Among the races on the Nov. 3 ballot is the Harris County judge contest. Democrat Letitia Plummer faces Republican Orlando Sanchez to replace County Judge Lina Hidalgo, who is not seeking reelection. The county judge oversees the county budget, public safety priorities and emergency management, all of which directly affect unincorporated Spring.

Voters will also decide congressional, Texas Legislature and local judicial races. Hudspeth told the Houston Press that the average ballot includes about 100 contests.

Early voting runs through Oct. 30. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays and Saturdays through Oct. 24, and noon to 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25. Weekday hours of 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. resume Oct. 26–30. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Residents can check their registration at hctax.net or by calling 713-274-8683.