Record early voting turnout reported across Texas counties

Multiple Texas counties reported record-breaking turnout on the first day of early voting for the U.S. Senate midterm race between Republican Ken Paxton and Democrat James Talarico. Harris County set a record for first-day turnout in a midterm election, while Dallas County recorded its highest number of Day 1 early votes ever.

The trend extended beyond Democratic-leaning areas. Republican stronghold Montgomery County also experienced record midterm turnout, as did Ellis County in North Texas and Bell and McLennan Counties in Central Texas.

“There is an increased energy level amongst Democrats, and so they have been waiting for two years to show up to vote.”

Dallas County officials reported 76,079 votes cast on the first day, a more than 30 percent increase from the 2024 presidential election and far above the previous record set in 2020. By 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, 416,023 mail-in and in-person votes had been tallied, representing 27 percent of the county's 1,493,955 registered voters.

Statewide, more than five million Texans had voted through Tuesday night, representing roughly 26.3 percent of registered voters. Overall numbers remained behind the 2018 cycle when Beto O'Rourke challenged incumbent Republican Senator Ted Cruz.

Ballot issues include a county tax increase to fund about $100 million annually in homeless services and a $443 million public safety bond sought by the city of Dallas. Gina Hinojosa has gained ground on incumbent Governor Greg Abbott as she seeks to become the first Democrat to hold the office since Ann Richards in 1994.

Campaign consultants caution that it is difficult to draw firm conclusions from a single day of early voting. President Donald Trump is scheduled to appear with Ken Paxton in Lubbock and Waco next week.