Early vote numbers sag; governor’s race costliest
Fewer Harris County voters cast ballots during this year’s early voting period than in the 2020 and 2018 elections, according to unofficial voter counts released after polls closed on Friday night. From Oct. 24 to Nov. 4, about 736,000 people voted at Harris County’s 99 early voting locations, accounting for about 28 percent of its 2.6 million registered voters. Meanwhile, Democrat Beto O’Rourke narrowly out-fundraised Gov. Greg Abbott over the last month, but Abbott maintains a dominant financial edge going into the final stretch of the most expensive governor’s race in Texas history. The two have combined to raise a record-shattering $220 million.