Texas Smashes Early Voting Records as Pivotal Senate Race Enters Final Sprint

Texas Smashes Early Voting Records as Pivotal Senate Race Enters Final Sprint

Harris County Up About 66% From Its 2018 First-Day Mark

Texas opened early voting for the November 3 general election on October 19, with in-person voting running through October 30. The first day shattered records in the state's biggest Democratic strongholds. Harris County, home to Houston and the state's largest voter base, processed 104,660 in-person ballots on opening day, crushing the previous midterm first-day record of 63,188 set in 2018. County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth declared the record broken before polls closed, with more than 70,000 voters processed by 3:30 p.m. In Dallas County, 76,079 ballots were cast on day one, topping the prior record of 60,573.

A Second Straight Record Pushes Two-Day Total Past 200,000

Harris County broke its record again on day two, with 99,911 in-person votes, the most for the second day of any midterm in county records going back to 1998, well above the prior high of 64,781 from 2018. Over two days, 204,570 people voted in person, the most at this point in any midterm, compared with 127,969 in 2018. Counting 27,549 mail ballots, 232,119 people had voted early in the county, about 8.5 percent of its registered voters. Statewide, the Texas Secretary of State reported 911,468 early voters after two days, about 4.8 percent of the state's 19 million registered voters. Harris County alone has 407,717 more registered voters than it did in 2018.

Registration Hits a Record 19 Million Statewide

Texas Secretary of State Robert Howden announced a record 19,041,684 registered voters for this election, up 2.2 percent from the November 2024 general election and 2 percent from the March 2026 primary. During early voting, Texans may cast ballots at any early voting location in their county of registration. Polls are generally open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays with adjusted weekend hours, and mail ballot applications must reach county clerks by Friday, October 23.

Talarico Holds a Narrow Lead Over Paxton in Senate Showdown

The marquee contest driving turnout is the U.S. Senate race between Democratic state Representative James Talarico and Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton. The polling average from September 24 to October 14 showed Talarico ahead by 2.2 percentage points. A University of Houston Hobby School poll conducted October 10-14 among 2,000 likely voters, with a 2.19-point margin of error, put Talarico ahead 48 percent to 46 percent, while another survey had him leading 51 percent to 49 percent. Both candidates hit the trail as voting opened: Paxton drew about 300 people to a rally in Richmond, while Talarico campaigned in Tyler.

Democrats Bank Early Enthusiasm as Republicans Chase Turnout

Analysts note the earliest early vote tends to skew toward the side with the most enthusiasm, and both camps agree that is currently the Democrats. The question is whether Republicans can mobilize their supporters as early voting drags on. The stakes are high: in 2024, more than 8.6 million Texans voted early in person and over 347,000 cast mail ballots, with 48.5 percent of registered voters casting ballots before Election Day. Harris County plans more than 600 polling locations on Election Day, and the record first-day numbers in Harris and Dallas counties are an encouraging sign for Talarico in areas Democrats cannot afford to lose.