Harris County's Sprawling Size And Complex Voting System May Delay Results Until Late Night
Sprawling County
Harris County is the third most populous county in the United States, with over 4.7 million residents. It is also the largest county in Texas, with an area of over 1,700 square miles. This sprawling size makes it difficult to administer elections, as there are over 800 polling places spread across the county.
Complex Voting System
In addition to its size, Harris County also has a complex voting system. The county uses optical scan voting machines, which require voters to fill in bubbles on a ballot. These ballots are then scanned by a machine, which tabulates the votes. However, this system can be slow and error-prone, especially when there are a large number of ballots to be counted.
Potential for Delays
The combination of Harris County's sprawling size and complex voting system could lead to delays in the release of election results. In 2016, for example, the county did not release its final election results until after midnight. This delay was due to a number of factors, including the large number of ballots that had to be counted and the need to verify the results of the optical scan voting machines.
Electoral Significance
Harris County is a major electoral battleground, and the results of its elections can have a significant impact on the outcome of state and national races. In 2016, for example, Harris County voted for Hillary Clinton by a margin of over 12 percentage points. This helped Clinton to win the popular vote in Texas, even though she lost the state to Donald Trump.
Conclusion
Harris County's sprawling size and complex voting system could lead to delays in the release of election results. This could have a significant impact on the outcome of state and national races. Voters should be aware of the potential for delays and plan accordingly.