Austin, TX

Election 2024: Strong turnout in Texas for early voting

Published

2 years ago

October 31, 2024

Election 2024: Strong turnout in Texas for early voting

Early voting in Texas

Strong early voting turnout continued Wednesday, as more Central Texans opted to head to the polls ahead of Election Day.

TEXAS – Strong early voting turnout continued on Wednesday, as more Central Texans opted to head to the polls ahead of Election Day.

“It does look like this is going to be a relatively high turnout election in Texas,” said Joshua Blank with the Texas Politics Project at UT Austin.

“Higher turnout is good because it means people are supporting the system,” said Dr. Brian Smith, a political science professor at St. Edward’s University.

In Travis, Williamson and Hays Counties, significantly more people turned out in the first week of early voting this year, compared to 2020. Although COVID and population growth affect that comparison, there’s no doubt this year’s numbers are high.

“This has been such a nasty, divisive election at the presidential level that people have made up their mind, and they want to cast their votes sooner rather than later,” said Smith.

Large number of people turnout for early voting

In Travis County, the vote count may be coming from a large number of first-time voters. There is also a possibility some of those casting a ballot now haven’t voted in a while.

In Texas, some experts say that could spell an advantage for Republicans.

“So far, the data from early voting indicates that significantly more voters with a Republican primary voting history have voted than voters with a Democratic primary voting history. And that gap is unlikely to be erased,” said Blank.

Part of that equation could be people turning out who haven’t voted in a while.

“There’s been a lot of discussion lately about Trump’s ability to turn out low-propensity voters, people who are unlikely to vote, and his appeal among these voters,” said Blank.

MORE ELECTION 2024 COVERAGE

Other factors could help Democrats, though. Looking at Travis County, more young people and first-time voters are making their voices heard this year, with 18- to 25-year-olds showing the largest increase in registration.

“When we look at first time voters, this often helps the Democrats. They tend to do better with younger voters or voters who are new to the system,” said Smith.

In its latest poll, the Texas Politics Project delved into what issues are motivating Texans to show up.

“Voters told us that the economy and prices were driving them to the polls. This is an issue that most voters feel on a daily basis,” said Blank. “Abortion remains a concern, but more so for Democratic voters.”

46K in Travis Co. vote on first day of early voting

Around five percent of registered voters in Travis County cast their ballot on the first day of early voting Monday.

That same poll showed former President Donald Trump leading Vice President Kamala Harris by five points in the presidential race in Texas. In the race for U.S. Senate, it showed Sen. Ted Cruz, leading Democratic challenger Rep. Colin Allred by seven points.

“There’s no indication in our polling or any of the other polling at this point, along with what we’ve seen in early voting turnout to date indicate a Democratic surprise here in Texas,” said Blank.

Eight early voting locations in Travis County will have extended hours Thursday and Friday. They’ll be open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. for the last two days of early voting. Those locations are:

Austin Permitting and Development Center

Ben Hur Shrine
Carver Branch Library
Lakeway Activity Center
Pflugerville Rock Gym
Southpark Meadows
Travis County Clerk
UT Union

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Austin, TX

More dangerous Texas floods expected after at least 2 killed and hundreds of people rescued in high water, governor says – WTOP News

Published

10 hours ago

July 16, 2026

Press Room

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — More dangerous Texas floods expected after at least 2 killed and hundreds of people rescued in…

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — More dangerous Texas floods expected after at least 2 killed and hundreds of people rescued in high water, governor says.

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© 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

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Austin, TX

Live updates: Flash Flood emergency in Kerr County as rain continues to pound Texas

Published

22 hours ago

July 16, 2026

Press Room

Live updates: Flash Flood emergency in Kerr County as rain continues to pound Texas

KERRVILLE, Texas (KXAN) — The City of Kerrville issued a shelter-in-place Thursday morning, with heavy rain causing reported evacuations early Thursday morning. A Flash Flood Warning is currently in place for Kerr County as the Guadalupe River continues to rise.

Around 5:30 a.m., the National Weather Service said a “large and deadly flood wave is moving down” the Guadalupe River.

KXAN First Warning Weather Meteorologist Kristen Currie said approximately 11 inches of rain have fallen northwest of Kerr County since 10 p.m. on Wednesday. The Guadalupe River is expected to reach major flood stage in multiple areas.

Kerr County PIO Lisa Walter said “there have been multiple swift water rescues and evacuations.” Officials emphasized not to drive through flooded streets and to turn around if water covers the roadway.

Evacuations were underway in multiple areas, according to the county, including:

Goat Creek
Arcadia Loop
Lowery/Guadalupe area
Junction Highway low-water crossings
Other low-lying neighborhoods

Emergency shelters are open at Impact Church (Goat Creek evacuation point), Calvary Temple Church and City West Church for people in West Kerr County, the county said.

Here are the latest headlines:

Live updates

7:03 a.m.: KXAN’s Kevin Baskar is in Gillespie County providing updates on the latest flood conditions in the area. Watch his update below.

6:37 a.m.: Kerr County officials emphasized not to drive through flooded streets and to turn around if water covers the roadway.

Evacuations were underway in multiple areas, according to the county, including:

Goat Creek
Arcadia Loop
Lowery/Guadalupe area
Junction Highway low-water crossings
Other low-lying neighborhoods

Emergency shelters are open at Impact Church (Goat Creek evacuation point), Calvary Temple Church and City West Church for people in West Kerr County, the county said.

6:27 a.m.: Video shows emergency crews hauling boats and rescue equipment through Kerrville.

6:15 a.m. NewsNation correspondent Xavier Walton and his photographer captured a structure being swept up in river water and crashing into a Kerrville bridge. The structure appears to be some sort of shipping container, pushing against the bridge.

Watch the video below:

6:08 a.m.: Kerr County PIO Lisa Walter confirms “there have been multiple swift water rescues and evacuations.”

6:02 a.m.: The Guadalupe River at Center Point is expected to crest at 35 feet, which is the same crest as July 4, 2025.

5:57 a.m.: The National Weather Service said “a large deadly flood wave” is moving down the Guadalupe River.

5:49 a.m.: The Comfort Volunteer Fire Department said it has units in Kerrville and Centerpoint alerting people along the Guadalupe River. They’re helping Kerr County with evacuations along Highway 27 between Comfort and Centerpoint. They said all VFD personnel are OK.

5:30 a.m.: The Kerr County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post that it’s received reports of “street flooding in Ingram, and it’s likely many roads and city streets are flooded as well.”

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Austin, TX

Austin Pets Alive! activates emergency response to assist shelters affected by flooding

Published

1 day ago

July 15, 2026

Press Room

Austin Pets Alive! activates emergency response to assist shelters affected by flooding

AUSTIN (KXAN) — As flood threats continue across parts of South Central Texas, Austin Pets Alive! has activated emergency response efforts to support animal shelters affected by the inclement weather.

In a social media post, APA! wrote, “We began offering aid last night, working to secure fosters for 10 dogs in the Castroville shelter, an open-air shelter that sits at the bottom of a valley.”

APA! said the situation escalated overnight with additional shelters reporting flooding. One shelter confirmed that floodwaters reached its facility, APA! added.

Communities overwhelmed due to weather include Uvalde, Castroville and Sabinal.

The nonprofit is asking the Austin community to foster, adopt or donate to free up capacity for animals displaced by the disaster. APA! needs to clear out its facilities to assist the animals in need of shelter.

Here are ways you can help:

Adopt: APA! is offering a “Name Your Own Adoption Fee” on all animals.
Foster: The shelter is seeking foster homes for a minimum of three weeks.
Donate: Proceeds will fund vans and response teams setting up a staging and triage center at the heart of the disaster zone, along with an expanded stockpile of preventatives, PPE and additional supplies.

If you would like to donate, click here.

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