Lucio Vasquez / Houston Public Media
Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth discussing the upcoming election during a press conference on Oct. 20, 2023.
The early voting period is being reduced by two days in the special election runoff for a Houston congressional seat as the region copes with cold weather and icy precipitation.
Former Houston City Council member Amanda Edwards and former Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee are competing in the Jan. 31 runoff as they seek to fill the vacancy in the 18th Congressional District. Residents there have been without representation in Washington since U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner died in March at age 70.
Early voting started Wednesday and was initially scheduled to continue through Tuesday. But the polls are closed Sunday and Monday because of inclement weather, according to the Harris County Clerk’s Office, which operates elections in Texas’ most populous county.
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“The safety of voters, elections workers, and staff must come first,” Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth said in a Saturday night statement. “This decision was made in close coordination with state and local emergency management officials.”
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There are about 400,000 registered voters in the 18th Congressional District, which includes areas north, south, east and west of downtown Houston. It has been represented by a Black Democrat since the early 1970s.
About 11,000 voters had cast in-person or mail ballots through Saturday, according to the county clerk’s office. The early voting period is scheduled to conclude Tuesday, when polls will be open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m.
The Houston area is under an extreme cold warning until noon Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.