Happy Tuesday!

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Today’s newsletter is 945 words — a 3.5-minute read.

We asked in yesterday's newsletter for your emotions about the election and safe to say, you have some big feelings.

Driving the news: Early voting started yesterday and runs through Oct. 30. Election Day is Nov. 3.

• Read our two-minute guides to statewide and local ballots.

What you're saying: The overwhelming majority of the more than 250 respondents in our four Axios Texas cities — Austin, Houston, Dallas and San Antonio — identified as Democrats. Here's how Austin-area respondents feel:

• "Hopeful" — Laura M. in Johnson City.
• "Apprehensive," says Hannah J. "I love all of the energy around the possibility of turning Texas a bit more blue, but we have seen this go south so many times... it's like being a Longhorn football fan — you get excited about the possibility of progress only to be hurt once again."
• "Excited and anxious," says Helly M. "I feel big change is coming to Texas but I am worried about election interference."
• "Something needs to change," writes Rachael H. in Cedar Park. "That much is clear when Republicans are running on a platform that they will make this state better, even though they have been in control for 30 years. I'm excited about James Talarico and Gina Hinojosa, and a change in Texas feels within reach — but it's a cautious excitement, because we've been burned before."
• "Feeling cautiously optimistic for Dems at the top of the ballot. Scared to get too excited about polls but have to hold on to some form of hope." — Shayna L.

The other side: Even Republicans who responded to our poll appeared ready for change.

• "The Republican Party has been in power for so long that it has become decadent and extreme," says Jeremy G. in Buda. "It's time to head towards the center and start really representing the people."

The bottom line: "I'm feeling eager for the unsolicited campaign-related text messages to stop," says Tim D., an Austin Republican who we can safely say speaks for all of us.

Speaking of your big feelings, a new study finds that all your stress about the state of politics is coming to work with you.

Why it matters: The political news you read or watch outside the office affects how you perform and act at work — even when you're not talking around the water cooler about the latest polling, per research from Texas A&M University.

Zoom in: A team of researchers followed more than 300 full-time U.S. employees during the 2024 presidential primary season over nine consecutive weeks.

• They found that weeks with more political information perceived by participants as negative were associated with higher anxiety and lower work engagement.
• The weeks in which political news was perceived as positive were associated with stronger engagement and more willingness to help co-workers.

What they're saying: "Political information is designed to capture attention and provoke emotional reactions," Ian Hughes, assistant professor of psychological and brain sciences who led the research, said in a statement.

• "The challenge is that those reactions don't necessarily disappear once people close an app or turn off the TV."

What's next: The study offers coping strategies for employers and employees, including:

• Offering workplace mental health resources and stress-management support.
• Taking breaks from media. (But, of course, not your Axios Austin newsletter.)
• Increasing employees' sense of agency and control, which may include time off for voting.

The bottom line: "An informed public is important, and our study isn't arguing otherwise," Hughes said. "The takeaway is simply that political information has emotional consequences."

🩺 Steven Abrams, a professor of pediatrics at Dell Medical School, was elected to the National Academy of Medicine. (Dell Medical School)

🏀 Texas men's basketball is ranked No. 7 in the preseason AP top 25. (Associated Press)

🏗️ A huge new warehouse — 200,000 square feet — tied to firms that have a long history of working with Amazon, is planned for construction near Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. (Austin Business Journal 🔒)

📚 First Light Books plans to open a second location in Clarksville, at a former United Methodist church on West Lynn Street. (KUT)

A live music venue set to open next year in southeast Austin announced its inaugural lineup yesterday, with a mix of rock, electronic, hip-hop and Latin music — as well as comedy acts — on the menu.

Why it matters: The live music scene in Austin is in a state of flux, as a raft of venues around Red River have shuttered.

Zoom in: The calendar includes performances by comedian Taylor Tomlinson (March 12)

• Rock and roll legends ZZ Top (March 18)
• Grammy-winning Tejano group La Mafia (March 19)
• Alt-rockers Death Cab for Cutie (March 23)
• Colombian singer-songwriter Fonseca (April 1).

Between the lines: The 65,000-square-foot venue, named through a partnership between AEG Presents and United Heritage Credit Union, will anchor River Park, the 109-acre mixed-use development at East Riverside Drive and Wickersham Lane.

We spotted these window-washers dangling yesterday from a building at East Second and Nueces streets.

💭 Our thought bubble: This falls under the long category of jobs — including submarine captain, rocket scientist and water-skiing instructor — we'd be super lousy at.

Thanks to Bob Gee for his edits.

⚡️ Asher is reading this very well-reported story (🎁) about the lengths a family in Oklahoma goes to keep their electricity on.

🛬 Nicole returns today from sunny Florida.