2.6M Texans have voted; feware new so far
Texans cast more than 2.6 million ballots in-person or via mail in the first three days of early voting, with two weeks still remaining in the early voting period that Gov. Greg Abbott extended by six days amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Elections experts warn that while the vote totals over the first three days reflect enthusiasm, so far the rolls indicate few first-time voters. That, however, could change significantly over the next few weeks. During the last presidential election in 2016, a total of 9 million votes were cast.
Analysis of voting records shows that about 9 in 10 Texans who cast ballots during the first two days of early voting had previously voted in a general election in Texas, said Derek Ryan, a Republican voter data expert. Voters who participated in the last four Democratic primaries also outnumbered thosewho had voted in the Republican primaries, Ryan’s analysis shows.
“What it tells us is kind of what we already knew,” Ryan said. “It’s that the Democrats are energized and were ready to vote from the get-go and that they’re willing to stand in line to do it.”
As early voting continues, he expects in-person turnout to in-
crease both for Republicans and first-time voters, with turnout likely to be “extremely high” overall.
“I think that we’re still going to see some new people get involved in the process, but I feel like the newer voters may just be turned off by long lines and might be a little more willing to wait a few days to go vote,” he said.
In the Houston area, Harris County voters continued to break records for early voting. More than 128,000 ballots were cast and 41,000 mail-in ballots received during the first day of early voting alone. The previous first-day recordwas 68,000 votes, set in 2016. More than 100,000 voters also turned out during the second day of early voting, which set another record.
Suburban countieswere following suit.
In the first three days of early voting, residents of Fort Bend County, a diverse suburb that now leans Democratic, turned out in higher numbers than in the 2016 and 2018 elections. About 56,000 people — or nearly 12 percent of registeredvoters— cast ballots during the first three days of early voting, up 3.5 percent over the same period in 2016. This week’s number may have been dampened somewhat by technological problems on the first day.
“We are seeing enormous enthusiasm to participate in this election, and Fort Bend has been no exception ,” County Judge KP George, aDemocrat, said in awritten statement.
Long lines weren’t a problemat most polling sites in Galveston County, even as one-quarter of the county’s 226,869 registered voters cast ballots in person during the first four days of early voting — nearly four times asmany as voted in the entire early-voting period in 2016. Yet from Galveston to Friendswood, voters breezed through polling sites without any reported issues.
In just four days of early voting, neighboring Brazoria County was closing inonits early votingoutput from the previous presidential election.
The voter turnout in deep-red Montgomery County, which includes TheWoodlands, was up also. About 47,900 people voted
there between Tuesday and Thursday, which included 13,340 absentee ballots; that compared to 45,941people during the first three days of early voting in 2016.
High turnout in the state’s bluest areas, including the six counties in the RioGrandeValley, is critical for Texas Democrats as they try to flip the stateHouse of Representatives and make a long-shot bid to hand the state’s 38 electoralcollege votes to former Vice President Joe Biden. The party has not won a statewide election since 1994 , and Texas hasn’t favored a Democratic presidential candidate since 1976.
In Webb County, more than 11,600 people have cast ballots in person or through the mail. Elections Administrator Jose Salvador Tellez said he’s seen “a substantial increase” in in-personvoters compared to the 2016 presidential election, even in the face of the pandemic.
“I always think that people turn out to vote because they place a value of importance on the election, and I think people see this election as an important one that they need to participate in,” he said.
Tellez said Webb County residents are not only considering the importance of national elections — including the presidential contest andU.S. Sen. JohnCornyn’s bid for a fourth term — but also several highly anticipated local elections, such as those for school board and city leadership positions in Laredo
“Although the concerns about the pandemic are still out there, I think thepeople that are comingto vote are coming out without regard towhether there’s a COVID-19 problem or not,” Tellez said.
The trend appears to stretch to several other counties in the Rio GrandeValley. Hidalgo County has counted about 59,000 ballots so far, nearly half the number of ballots cast in the entire early voting period in 2016.
In Cameron County, more than 32,000 people have cast ballots in the first three days of early voting. About 63,000 people cast ballots during the early voting period in 2016.
“If we even keep this pace, it’ll lead to an incredible turnout,” said Elections Administrator Remi Garza, whoexpects at least 5,000people to vote each day.
State data indicates turnout is not as strong in the other two counties in the Rio Grande Valley, Maverick and Zapata
A number of factors, including Texas’ surge in voter registrations, are expected to significantly increase the state’s overall voter turnout this fall. Abbott granted the extended early voting period in July as the state faced growing coronavirus concerns. The public health crisis is also expected to prompt an increased number of mail-in ballots.
After being called out by a poll worker for not wearing a mask, GalvestonCountyJudgeMarkHenry issued an order Friday allowing voters without a mask to cast ballots.
While Texas is one of five states that does not allowall voters to use thefearofCOVID-19asanexcuseto vote by mail, voters over the age of 65 are all eligible for absentee ballots. .
Early voting runs through Oct. 30. ElectionDay isTuesday, Nov. 3.
“I think that we’re still going to see some new people get involved in the process, but I feel like the newer voters may just be turned off by long lines and might be a little more willing to wait a few days to go vote.”
Derek Ryan, a Republican voter data expert