HTX-KTY: Impact 11/4/2025

Voters in the Katy-Fulshear area have one final chance to weigh in on several state and local races Nov. 4.

Where to vote: Election Day is Nov. 4, with voting locations open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m.

Harris County voters can choose from any of 600 polling locations, according to the county’s website. Meanwhile, Fort Bend County voters can cast their ballot at any of the 82 locations countywide on Election Day, according to the county's website. However, Waller County voters must vote within their respective voting precincts on Election Day. To see election precincts, click here.

By the numbers: Harris County saw a total of 212,104 in-person and mail ballot votes cast during the early voting from Oct. 20-31, while Fort Bend County saw 31,006 in-person voters. Additionally, Waller County saw a total of 2,978 in-person and mail ballot votes during the period.

Stay tuned: For more information on Election Day coverage, visit Community Impact's voter guide. Unofficial election results will be updated on the website as results come in.

Katy ISD officials are advancing projects from the district’s $806.56 million bond supported by voters in November 2023, with trustees recently approving budgets and construction contracts for five projects set to begin as soon as November. 

The details: At the Oct. 27 meeting, trustees approved contractors for several projects, including:

Construction of Junior High No. 19: The campus, located on Schilpf Road, will have 10 additional classrooms and accommodate 1,600 students.

• Timeline: summer 2026-June 2028
• Estimated cost: $60.5 million

• Timeline: early 2026-summer 2026
• Estimated cost: $2.64 million

• Timeline: early 2026- summer 2026
• Estimated cost: $1.92 million

San Antonio-based burger chain Whataburger has opened its ninth Katy location near Katy Park.

Zooming in: The new location, which offers burgers, chicken sandwiches, taquitos and salads, will feature a full-service 24-hour drive-thru, dining room and online ordering, according to an Oct. 30 news release.

Zooming out: The new location joins the first Fulshear location, which opened its doors in September, Community Impact reported.

• 24710 Morton Ranch Road, Katy

Travelers should prepare for longer security wait times at Houston's airports "until further notice" due to the federal government shutdown, according to a Nov. 2 advisory.

Two-minute impact: Transportation Security Administration wait times may exceed one hour at William P. Hobby Airport, or HOU, and three hours at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, or IAH, according to the advisory.

Security checkpoints at terminals A and E are the only TSA screening locations open at IAH as of press time, per the advisory. Additionally, passengers at HOU may see reduced lanes available.

Quote of note: "The federal government shutdown has impacted TSA staffing and operations nationwide, and Houston Airports is doing everything possible to support our TSA partners and keep passengers moving safely and efficiently," Jim Szczesniak, director of aviation for Houston Airports, said in a statement. "We ask that passengers continue to arrive early and expect extended security wait times until the federal government shutdown is resolved.”

Harris County commissioners voted unanimously Oct. 30 to push back the proposed Dec. 11 public hearing for the Harris Health and the Ben Taub Hospital expansion in Houston’s Texas Medical Center. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo was absent.

The bottom line: Several amendments, internal deadlines and meetings are now being coordinated by county and city of Houston stakeholders as part of a potential expansion plan that will include community input and a formal presentation in January. Commissioners set the new date for the public hearing in March.

The context: Harris Health officials are in the process of a major expansion of Ben Taub Hospital, which would incorporate 8.9 acres of Hermann Park. Esmaeil Porsa, Harris Health president and CEO, said at the Oct. 30 meeting that the expansion must occur at this location for several reasons that would support more than 1 million uninsured individuals.

“It would allow this facility to be part of Ben Taub and won’t need additional licensing,” Porsa said.

Election Day is Nov. 4. Polling places across Texas will be open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m., according to the secretary of state’s office.

The overview: Voters in the following counties can vote at any polling place within their county of residence through the countywide voting program: Bastrop, Bexar, Brazoria, Collin, Comal, Dallas, Fort Bend, Galveston, Guadalupe, Harris, Hays, Tarrant, Travis and Williamson. Registered voters in other counties are required to visit a polling place specific to their voting precinct.

On the ballot: Texas voters will decide on 17 proposed amendments to the state constitution during the Nov. 4 election. Each proposition was approved by at least two-thirds of state lawmakers this spring before being placed on the ballot.

Voters in various communities across the state may also see local propositions and races on their ballots, including a 20% tax rate increase in Austin, a congressional race in Harris County and a state Senate race in Tarrant County.

Learn more: To get to know the propositions and candidates on your local ballot, visit www.communityimpact.com/voter-guide.