Early voting in the general election starts on Monday, Oct. 21 and will run through Friday, Nov. 1. Hours for early voting are most often 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. but vary by day and location, so be sure to double-check before you go. In Harris County, polls are open late on Halloween, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

A surge of younger voters, transplants from other states and more aggressive voter registration efforts by Democrats and Republicans is behind the total.