close
close

Voter turnout in Texas is down compared to 2020

Sign up for the We the Texans newsletter to receive twice-monthly updates on our year-long initiative dedicated to promoting civic engagement and documenting the democratic experience in Texas.

Turnout among Texas voters fell slightly this fall compared to the record-breaking 2020 presidential election, according to a Texas Tribune analysis of state data.

More than 2.8 million Texans either voted in person or returned their ballot by mail during the first three days of early voting this year. That’s 15.1% of all registered voters. In 2020, 15.7% of registered voters voted or cast a ballot during the same period in 2020.

Texas has more registered voters than ever before: 18.6 million, an increase of about 1.7 million since 2020. Voter turnout this election was about 67% — a modern record for the Lone Star State, known for its low voter turnout is known.

Early voting began Monday. The last day for early voting is November 1st. Texans must deliver their mail-in ballot in person to their county or have it postmarked by November 5, Election Day.

There are caveats to the early voting dates. It can be incomplete – each county reports itself to the state. And Texas is offering two weeks of early voting in 2024, compared to a three-week extension in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Postal voting also became more important four years ago.

Only two of the state's most populous counties — Denton and Fort Bend — broke their turnout records in the first three days of early voting, the Tribune found. Meanwhile, Dallas, El Paso and Harris counties are seeing declines.

That should be a warning sign for Texas Democrats, said Matthew Wilson, a political science professor at Southern Methodist University.

“If I were a Democratic consultant, that would give me some concern,” Wilson said.

The most important news from Texas,
will be sent on weekday mornings.

Another warning sign for Democrats, who have long hoped to gain a foothold in a Republican-dominated state, is the voting history of early voters.

Based on their voting history, more Republicans appear to be voting early than Democrats, said Derek Ryan, a veteran consultant and GOP campaign consultant. According to him, 1.1 million voters who cast ballots in the first three days of early voting had previously participated in a Republican primary. In comparison, 715,180 voters took part in a Democratic primary.

At this point in 2020, Republicans and Democrats accounted for about the same percentage of early voting, according to Ryan's analysis. Meanwhile, in both 2020 and 2024, about a quarter of early votes were cast by people who had never voted in a partisan primary in Texas.

Other states have seen an increase in Republican early voting, a reversal from 2020 when former President Donald Trump expressed doubts about the process and encouraged his voters to go to the polls only on Election Day.

Texas does not track voter registration by party. The use of voting history in political party primaries provides a substitute for general elections.

“The signs here in Texas seem to indicate that Republicans are doing well,” Ryan said.

Ryan said he expects the final turnout will be between 2016 and 2020.

“Both parties still have a lot of work to do in the early voting period and on Election Day to attract some of the people who are probably solid party voters but may not be as likely to turn out,” Ryan said.

Voting FAQ: 2024 elections

  • When is the next election? What data do I need to know?

    Election Day for the general election is November 5th, and early voting takes place from October 21st to November 1st. The deadline to register to vote and/or change your voter registration address is October 7th. Requests to vote must be submitted by mail by October 25th and received by your county of residence (without a postmark).

  • What is on the ballot paper in the federal election?

    Eligible Texans have the opportunity to vote not only for the president, but also for numerous Texas officials running for office at the federal, state and local levels.

    This includes representatives in the U.S. and Texas Houses of Representatives and the following elected offices:

    -1 US Senator (Ted Cruz)

    – 1 of 3 railway commissioners

    – 15 state senators

    – 7 members of the State Board of Education

    – 3 members of the Texas Supreme Court

    – 3 members of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals

    – 5 Chief Justices and various judges of the Texas Courts of Appeals

    Lower-ranking judges and local district offices will also appear on the ballot:

    – Various district judges, including criminal and family courts

    – District courts

    – Justice of the Peace

    – District Attorneys

    – District Attorneys

    – Sheriffs

    – Police officers

    – Tax collector

  • How do I make sure I'm registered to vote?

    You can check to see if you are registered and confirm your information at the Texas Secretary of State website. To sign up, you'll need one of the following three combinations: your Texas driver's license number and your date of birth. Your first and last name, your date of birth and the county in which you live. Your date of birth and your unique voter ID, which appears on your voter registration certificate.

  • What happens if I miss the voter registration deadline?

    To vote in the November 5th presidential election, you must be registered to vote in a Texas county by October 7th. You can still register for other elections.

    If you are registered but have not updated your address by the deadline, you may still be able to vote at your previous voting location or on a restricted ballot. (Voters are typically assigned districts based on where they live. Most larger districts allow voters to vote anywhere on Election Day, but some districts require you to vote within your precinct. In this case, you may have to go to your previous precinct Return Here you can see which districts nationwide you can vote on Election Day. You can usually find your voting district on your voter registration certificate or when checking your registration online.

    If you have moved from one county to another, you may be able to vote on a ballot limited to elections for which you would be eligible to vote in both locations, such as statewide elections. However, a limited number of ballots are only available during early voting. Find your county elections official here and contact them to ask questions or request a limited ballot.

  • What can I do if I have questions about voting?

    You can contact your county elections official or call the Texas Secretary of State's hotline at 1-800-252-VOTE (8683). A coalition of voting rights groups is also helping voters address voting issues through the voter protection hotline 866-OUR-VOTE (687-8683). The coalition also has hotlines for voters who speak other languages ​​or need accessibility.

    If you need help in Spanish, call 888-VE-Y-VOTA or 888-839-8682.

    For assistance in Asian languages, call 888-API-VOTE or 888-274-8683.

    If you need assistance in Arabic, call 888-YALLA-US or 888-925-5287.

    For American Sign Language assistance via video, call 301-818-VOTE or 301-818-8683.

    If you need assistance from Disability Rights Texas, call 888-796-VOTE or 888-796-8683.

  • Read more

Supported by

Raise Your Hand Texas logo

Disclosure: Southern Methodist University has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. A full list of them can be found here.

You may also like...