Early Voting's Surge Eases in Austin: 5.5 Million Texans Have Voted, 29 Percent of Everyone Registered
The lines that defined early voting's first week thinned out across the Austin metro on Wednesday. Whether that is the surge ending or just the calm before Friday's final-day dash is the question both parties are now organizing around — with 5.5 million Texans, 29 percent of the state's registered voters, already on the books.
The rush, for now, has eased. Wait times at most early-voting locations were down Wednesday across the Austin metro, FOX 7 Austin reported — a mid-week lull after an opening surge, with two days of early voting left and the final-day dash still to come on Friday.
The statewide count behind the lull is large. According to the Secretary of State's Office, 5.5 million people have voted early so far — 29 percent of the 19 million Texans registered to vote. Turnout is tracking slightly ahead of the early vote from the last midterm, in 2022, but remains well below the presidential-year pace of 9.7 million early voters in 2020 and 9.1 million in 2024.
Both parties spent Wednesday trying to own the remaining vote. In Congressional District 37, which covers much of east Austin, incumbent Democrat Greg Casar cast his ballot and urged those who have not voted not to be scared off by the last-minute ad blitz. 'In the last days before an election, that's when you start to see posts built to try to make you feel angry or feel scared,' Casar said, in remarks reported by FOX 7. 'Thousands of likes is not proof that something is true and neither is a confident influencer.' His Republican challenger, Lauren Pena, predicted the late vote would break her way: 'You're going to see Republicans start to pick up,' she said, pointing to the district's significant population of independents as the votes still in play.
The calendar leaves no slack. Early voting ends Friday, Oct. 30 — seven Travis County sites stay open until 10 p.m. on Thursday and Friday — and there is no voting on Saturday, Sunday or Monday. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Whoever has not voted by Friday night waits for Tuesday.
