Convenience Big Store: Everything you need to know about Election Day

November 5, 2024

Election Sale: 6 Months for 99¢

Unlock access to voting resources and critical coverage.

Act Now

Sale Ends Nov. 5 | Cancel Anytime

🗳️ The countdown is over. Today is Election Day. Use our Texas Voter Guide to explore key national, state and local races and print out a personal guide that you can bring with you to vote.

Good morning, Houston.

Happy Election Day! We already have our first bit of Election Day drama. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a last-minute lawsuit last night to stop the U.S. Department of Justice from sending monitors into Texas polling locations during Tuesday's election. More on the election below.

🌧️ Temperature check: High of 73; low of 64. Justin's insight: A line of strong storms will blast through the Houston area early Tuesday. Voters should prepare for a wet wait at the polls. Sign up for our Weather Radar newsletter for more weather news.

Yasmeen Khalifa, Audience Engagement Producer

yasmeen.khalifa@houstonchronicle.com

An election clerk waves a U.S. flag to alert voters to the location of the ballot drop off at a polling location at Houston Community College in Houston, TX on October 24, 2024.

Photo by: Sharon Steinmann

Everything you need to know about Election Day...

After months of fiery campaigning and tens of millions of dollars spent on political ads, the 2024 election is finally coming to a close as millions of voters head to the polls today for Election Day.

Texas is at the center of national attention like never before, with late-cycle visits from both presidential campaigns and the hotly contested Senate showdown between U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and U.S. Rep. Colin Allred. Republicans' majority in the U.S. House of Representatives is also on the line, as is the balance of power in the Texas Legislature.

Here are some of the major storylines to follow today:

And here's a list of voter resources:

Broken machines? Long waits? Voter intimidation? If you have any issues at the polls today, report them to our tip line. Sign up for free by texting "Election" to 346-215-0869.

📰 Need to Know

MASS SHOOTING AVERTED: Buc-ee's and local schools were targeted in a thwarted mass-shooting, federal court documents claim. A 20-year-old New Braunfels man has pleaded guilty to firearms charges.
OB/GYNS DEMAND CHANGE: More than 60 Houston-area OB/GYNs were among 111 of their colleagues across Texas who signed a letter asking lawmakers to change the state's abortion laws after the "heartbreaking" deaths of two pregnant Texans.
WHY YOU'LL SEE COPS AT THE POLLS: Law enforcement in Harris County and other large metro areas heightened security for Election Day in response to past attacks and protests.
VOTING IN SPACE: It's Election Day for millions of Texas voters, but that doesn't mean you have to be in Texas — or even on Earth — to have your vote counted. Four NASA astronauts will vote from the International Space Station. Here's how.
THE BRAIN BEHIND HARRIS COUNTY ELECTIONS: At the helm on Tuesday is Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth, who is responsible for running elections in the nation's third largest county. Here's what to know about her.

💼 Business

THE KIND OF BUSINESS TEXANS WANT TO OWN: The business Texans would most like to own, if given the choice, is a live music venue in Austin. That's according to a new survey from MarketBeat, which asked 3,000 respondents about their dream business.
'UNAMERICAN MADNESS': The 2024 presidential campaign between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris left most Americans wanting better, and they deserve it, writes business columnist Chris Tomlinson.

🌀 Storm Watch

Tropical Storm Rafael formed in the central Caribbean Sea just south of Jamaica on Nov. 4, 2024.

Photo by: Houston Chronicle

All eyes are on Tropical Storm Rafael that formed in the Caribbean Sea on Monday, and the focus is on where it may track this week. The storm was churning north toward Jamaica and is expected to enter the Gulf of Mexico in the coming days. Track its path here.

📅 Events at the Chronicle

Promotional image for post-Election Day virtual event on HISD bond results

Photo by: Sharon Steinmann / Susan Barber

EVENT: Join our education team's recap of the HISD bond vote

Readers are invited to a Zoom event with Chronicle education reporters on Nov. 7 to recap and analyze Election Day results for the $4.4 billion HISD bond and other local tax rate increase elections.