56 mins ago - News

Texans surge to polls during early voting

Nicole Cobler

People stand in a line in the rain with umbrellas beside a beige, rough-textured wall; a VOTE HERE sign is visible to the right, with wet pavement and parked cars in the background. — Austin voters wait in line to cast their ballot on the last day of early voting in Texas. Photo: Brandon Bell/Getty Images

In-person early voting turnout surpassed 2018 levels in four of Texas' five largest counties ahead of Tuesday's closely watched election.

Why it matters: The figures don't indicate which candidates are benefiting, but suggest voter enthusiasm is rivaling or surpassing that seen during the 2018 Senate race, when Republican Ted Cruz narrowly defeated Democrat Beto O'Rourke.

By the numbers: More than 7.1 million Texans voted early in person through Friday, the close of early voting, representing nearly 37.6% of registered voters, according to data from the Texas Secretary of State.

Including mail ballots, the total climbs to more than 7.4 million, or 38.9% of registered voters.

Zoom in: In Travis County, roughly 46.3% of registered voters cast ballots early in person, up from 45.1% in 2018.

Tarrant County saw the largest jump among the five largest counties, climbing from 38.5% in 2018 to 41.2% this year.
Bexar and Harris counties also exceeded their 2018 turnout rates, while Dallas County dipped slightly from 36.9% to 36.6%.

The big picture: Recent polls have shown tight statewide races, including the race for U.S. Senate between Democrat James Talarico and Republican Ken Paxton, and for governor, between Republican incumbent Greg Abbott and Democrat Gina Hinojosa.

Reality check: High turnout doesn't necessarily favor either party.

What's next: Polls open Tuesday for Election Day 7am-7pm local time across Texas.

Add Axios on Google

Texans surge to polls during early voting

More Austin stories