By Cat DeLaura

Good morning, Houston!

Early voting begins today in Houston's elections. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and you can cast your ballot at any of the county's 68 locations.

⛅ Temperature check: High of 86; low of 73. Justin's insight: Drought conditions continue across Southeast Texas, but shower chances return to the forecast this week. Read more here.

📅 Key dates to know:

Friday, Oct. 27 — the last day to apply for an absentee ballot.
Friday, Nov. 3 — early voting ends.
Tuesday, Nov. 11 — Election Day.

Cat DeLaura
Audience Engagement Producer
cat.delaura@houstonchronicle.com

Houston's Ballot

Today we're talking about Houston's elections...

If you read one thing: On their ballots, Houstonians will find 18 candidates vying to replace Sylvester Turner as Houston's mayor, nearly 60 candidates running for City Council's 16 seats and four candidates running for controller. Plus, three city and county ballot initiatives and 14 statewide ballot measures.

To help you get up to speed on the issues and candidates, we're dedicating this edition of The 713 to all things election.

Mayoral race:

State Sen. John Whitmire and U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee headline the crowded field of 18 candidates running for mayor, which also includes former Metro Chair Gilbert Garcia, attorney Lee Kaplan, Councilmember Robert Gallegos, and former Councilmembers MJ Khan and Jack Christie.

Learn more about where each candidate stands on key issues by reading through their answers to our 21-question survey or watching the Editorial Board's Q&A with candidates. (Note: not every candidate responded to the survey or participated in the Editorial Board's Q&A.)

Editorial Board endorsement: John Whitmire.

"It will take a shrewd pragmatist — it always has — to successfully run this complex city, to balance its competing interests, priorities and profit motives. It will take a leader guided by data, strategic thinking and common sense — not unbending ideology — to address crime, shore up finances and get our trash picked up on time. We believe that leader is John Whitmire. In the end, his age and experience are assets."

Read the full endorsement here.

City Council race:

All 16 City Council seats are on the ballot, although not every candidate is facing an opponent. Find your district and the candidates running in it using our Voter Guide here.

Editorial Board endorsements:

District B: Tarsha Jackson
District C: Abbie Kamin
District D: Carolyn Evans-Shabazz
District E: Martina Lemond Dixon
District G: Mary Nan Huffman
District H: Mario Castillo
District I: Joaquin Martinez
District J: Edward Pollard
At-Large 1: Conchita Reyes
At-Large 2: Nick Hellyar
At-Large 3: Richard Cantu
At-Large 4: Letitia Plummer
At-Large 5: Sallie Alcorn

Houston controller race:

While the controller position carries no real policy making power, it is a vital watchdog position responsible for auditing city departments, sounding the alarm over city finance concerns and otherwise serving as a check on the mayor and council members who directly control purse strings. There are four candidates vying for the position this November.

Editorial Board endorsement: Chris Hollins

Stay in the Loop

Susan Barber / Houston Chronicle

📰 Need to Know:

New survey: Houstonians willing to pay some more for added public safety and infrastructure. Houstonians want the next mayor to boost city services from violence prevention to drainage improvement, and they're willing to open their wallets, up to a point, the Kinder Institute for Urban Research's newest survey shows.
A new wave of climate protests aims to 'shake humanity awake.' Over the past 12 months, groups such as Extinction Rebellion and Climate Defiance have opened up a new front in the climate movement by staging very public and theatrical protests designed to disrupt everyday life, with the aim of drawing attention to the coming perils of climate change and block the continued development of oil and other fossil fuels.
Fact check: Did Nikki Haley want the U.S. to take in Gaza refugees? Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and his campaign accused Haley of arguing "in support of bringing Gaza refugees to America."
Hundreds of dogs and cats find homes at Houston's largest adoption event. The event, billed as one of the country's largest, was put on by the non-profit Petco Love and featured 20 local animal welfare organizations at the George R. Brown Convention Center Saturday and Sunday.

💼 Business:

Lifelike voice AI could help you lease your next Houston apartment. Artificial intelligence voice assistant EliseAI is launching at some Houston apartments, adding to the growing AI services available for multifamily properties.
The Lexus ES300h offers fuel economy and comfort. This luxury hybrid sedan is perfectly capable of overtaking traffic in the fast lane in sport mode while achieving over 40 mpg, writes auto columnist Jesus R. Garcia.
Five tech tips for Facebook, Apple Watch, your iPhone and more. Here's a collection of Dwight Silverman's random tips – some old, some new – that may make your tech life a bit easier.

🚗 Outside the Loop:

Early voting is open in The Woodlands. Seven candidates will vie for three seats on The Woodlands' top governing body.
Bond, tax rate and other elections in Houston's suburbs. Find more information about the various elections occurring in Houston's surrounding cities, counties and school districts in our Voter Guide here.

⚾ Sports:

Astros drop ALCS Game 6 to Rangers. The Rangers handed the Astros a 9-2 loss Sunday night to force a decisive Game 7 between the pugnacious in-state teams, who will meet once more Monday at Minute Maid Park, a trip to the World Series awaiting the winner. Here are five key moments from the game.
State of the Texans: Why Houston thinks the playoffs are possible. The team is playing with a belief that it can win under new coach DeMeco Ryans which is a big change from recent seasons.
The Rockets defense was better in the preseason but the real test awaits. After five preseason games, the Rockets have not had the best defense in the NBA. But they were second best.
Dynamo riding momentum into playoff matchup against Real Salt Lake. The Dynamo earned a 3-1 road victory over the Portland Timbers on Saturday to secure a top-four seed in the Western Conference and clinch home-field advantage.

📚 Get Out:

Nedra Glover Tawwab among the authors at Houston book events this week. The New York Times bestselling author of "Set Boundaries, Find Peace" will discuss her new book in a program presented by Kindred Stories.

🗣️ Point of View:

Letters to the Editor: To fight Superintendent Mike Miles' reforms, we need fire and thunder, writes one reader.

Click here to play the Houston Chronicle's puzzles.

The Rest of the Ballot

Local Ballot Initiatives:

Harris County Hospital District, Proposition A: Should the county use $2.5 billion to rebuild the Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital?

The Editorial Board recommends voting Yes on Prop A (Harris County).

City of Houston, Proposition A: Should three City Council members be able to place an item on the agenda?

The Editorial Board recommends voting Yes on Prop A (City of Houston).

City of Houston, Proposition B: Should Houston have more proportional representation on regional councils?

The Editorial Board recommends voting Yes on Prop B.

Statewide Ballot Measures:

Proposition 1: Should people have the right to farm, ranch and garden on their own property?

The Editorial Board recommends voting Against Prop 1.

Proposition 2: Should local governments be able to give child-care businesses property tax breaks?

The Editorial Board recommends voting For Prop 2.

Proposition 3: Should lawmakers be blocked from imposing a "wealth tax?"

The Editorial Board recommends voting Against Prop 3.

Proposition 4: Should property owners have a larger homestead exemption?

The Editorial Board recommends voting For Prop 4.

Proposition 5: Should the state dedicate investment earnings from the state's rainy day fund to university research?

The Editorial Board recommends voting For Prop 5.

Proposition 6: Should the state establish a water fund to update pipes and develop new water sources?

Proposition 7: Should the state establish an energy fund to finance new electric generation through grants and loans?

The Editorial Board recommends voting For Prop 7. Business columnist Chris Tomlinson recommends voting Against Prop 7. Read his take here.

Proposition 8: Should the state create a broadband fund to expand internet access across Texas?

The Editorial Board recommends voting For Prop 8.

Proposition 9: Should the state authorize a cost-of-living increase for retired teachers who receive pensions?

The Editorial Board recommends voting For Prop 9.

Proposition 10: Should biomedical companies get a property tax break on the value of equipment used to make medical supplies and devices?

The Editorial Board recommends voting For Prop 10.

Proposition 11: Should El Paso County have the power to issue bonds to fund parks and recreational facilities?

The Editorial Board recommends voting For Prop 11.

Proposition 12: Should Galveston County abolish the elected treasurer office?

The Editorial Board recommends voting For Prop 12.

Proposition 13: Should judges be able to work longer?

The Editorial Board recommends voting For Prop 13.

Proposition 14: Should the state create a fund that would purchase new land for state parks?

The Editorial Board recommends voting For Prop 14.

More Resources:

Explore our full Voter Guide here.

See all of the Editorial Board endorsements here.

I had a fantastic time basking in the cool 60-degree weather and just resting this past week. Thanks for the well wishes. Returning to near 90-degree weather has felt a bit cruel, though.

Hope you're each able to find time to rest this week. It's good for the soul.

Cat DeLaura

cat.delaura@houstonchronicle.com

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