How early voting works -- and why it's safe

A rumor has been moving through the country that early-voting ballots get thrown out. If you voted early and have quietly wondered whether yours will actually count, the shortest answer is this: your ballot is sealed, held under lock, and counted after the polls open on Election Day. It is not set aside, and it is not sitting on a separate pile anywhere.

Here, in order, is what happens to an Edinburg early ballot:

• It is recorded on the county's voting machine the moment you cast it.
• It is sealed and secured by election officials after it is cast.
• It is counted only after the polls open on Election Day, as required by Texas election law.

Where to cast your ballot

Hidalgo County's early voting for the November 3, 2026 general election runs Monday, October 19 through Friday, October 30, 2026. Hours are 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday during the opening stretch, October 19–24, 2026.

In Edinburg, you can cast an early ballot at any of these locations:

• The Elections Annex Building at 317 N. Closner Blvd. (Annex Room, rear entrance)
• The San Carlos Endowment Center at 107 N. Sunflower Rd. (Culture Room)
• UTRGV at 1201 W. University Dr. (Student Academic Center)

At the machine, your choices are recorded on the spot by the county's voting system. An early vote is a complete, cast vote the moment it is made — not a draft waiting to be finalized. Because the county keeps a record of who has cast a ballot, it can publish daily rosters of who has voted.

What happens right after you hit cast

After you hit cast, your ballot is sealed and secured by election officials. It remains in official custody; it is not placed on a separate early-voting pile that can be discarded.

The county uses a central counting station for ballot processing. That process is set out in the county's central counting station plan. Paper ballots and electronic voting records are handled under the security procedures in that plan.

When your early ballot is counted

Early-voting ballots cannot be counted until the polls open on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, 2026. That is a scheduled, required step of the official process.

An early vote cast in person is a completed ballot, not a provisional or draft ballot. Mail-ballot results may be reported separately, but an early in-person vote is not held aside as something that can simply be left out of the count.

On election night, the numbers shown on the county's election pages are labeled unofficial and subject to change. That is standard reporting status, not a sign that early votes were removed.

How to check your ballot and settle it for a neighbor

The county posts unofficial early-voting rosters and totals on its elections website, so you can check that your own name appears among those who have cast a ballot.

For anyone who wants to confirm a ballot or pass the process along to a worried neighbor, the Hidalgo County Elections Department is at the Hidalgo County Courthouse, 100 North Closner, Edinburg, Texas 78539.