Texas Breaks Early Voting Record With 6.4 Million Ballots
Texas recorded more than 6.4 million early ballots cast, breaking the previous non-presidential election record amid high-spending Senate and gubernatorial races.
Early voting in Texas concluded on October 30 with more than 6.4 million ballots cast through Thursday. This figure breaks the previous record for a non-presidential election year, which was 5.5 million in 2018. Local officials in Collin County reported similar trends, with over 329,000 votes cast.
Robert Howden, the Texas Secretary of State, attributed the surge to heightened attention on several high-profile races. These include a U.S. Senate contest between Republican Ken Paxton and Democrat James Talarico, which has seen combined spending exceed $560 million, and a gubernatorial race between Governor Greg Abbott and state Representative Gina Hinojosa. National figures, including President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, campaigned in the state to mobilize voters.
Despite the record turnout, the state's new TEAM reporting system displayed totals that differed from county-reported figures. The Texas Association of County Election Officials clarified that these discrepancies do not affect the actual vote count or the results for the November 3 election. Additionally, officials decided not to implement changes from SB 2753 regarding the counting of in-person ballots during this cycle due to staffing and financial concerns.
