Bexar County early voting: Dems outpace GOP
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Turnout in Bexar County was up 48% in the first five days of early voting compared to the same timeframe in the 2022 primary — with more voters casting Democratic ballots than Republican ones so far.
Why it matters: Primaries tend to attract the most dedicated voters. High Democratic turnout in March could signal momentum heading into the November midterm election.
Zoom in: In Bexar County, 65,815 people had voted in the Democratic primary in person or by mail-in ballot as of Tuesday — over 37,000 more than in the Republican primary (28,285).
- That amounts to 5% of the county's 1.29 million registered voters casting Democratic ballots, compared to 2% voting Republican.
What they're saying: "Voters are showing up, and they are not slowing down," Michele Carew, elections administrator, said in a statement. "We're consistently seeing nearly double the daily turnout compared to the previous midterm election."
Catch up quick: The primaries determine the Republican and Democratic candidates for November's election for U.S. Senate, all 38 Texas seats in the U.S. House, governor, Texas attorney general and other statewide positions, including the judiciary.
- The marquee matchups are for U.S. Senate. On the Republican side, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn is facing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-Houston). On the Democratic side, U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Dallas) is facing state Rep. James Talarico (D-Austin).
The big picture: Nearly 1.5 million Texans had cast ballots in person or via mail as of Tuesday — setting a pace that could surpass turnout during the last gubernatorial primary in 2022.
- Through the first eight days of early voting, Democratic turnout is nearing the party's total turnout during the 2024 presidential primary.
Zoom out: Almost 34,000 more Texans are registered to vote during the primaries than were registered during the 2024 presidential election.
- More than 680,000 Texans have voted in the Democratic primary.
- More than 610,000 voters have cast ballots in the Republican primary.
- The Democratic primary turnout in Harris and Travis counties are also more than twice as much as in the GOP primary.
What's next: Friday is the last day to vote early.
- Election day is Tuesday.