Austin, TX
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
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas’ highway system dropped two spots since 2025, and now ranks at No. 27 in the country for its cost-effectiveness and overall conditions, according to the Reason Foundation’s 2026 Highway Report.
The report assessed pavement conditions, fatalities, deficient bridges, infrastructure costs and congestion levels across the United States. Texas earned the following rankings:
- 33rd in urban interstate pavement conditions
- 21st in rural interstate pavement conditions
- 39th in urban arterial pavement conditions
- 12th in rural arterial pavement conditions
- 3rd in structurally deficient bridges
- 26th in urban fatality rate
- 42nd in rural fatality rate
- 41st in traffic congestion
“More than 42,000 of the nation’s 618,923 highway bridges, nearly 7%, are still structurally deficient. Arizona, Nevada, and Texas reported the lowest percentages of deficient bridges,” the report said.
The full report can be found online.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Small hail peppered the Austin area as strong thunderstorms moved through Saturday.
A few of the storms dropped rain and up to pea-sized hail in San Marcos, Dripping Springs and the Austin metro area.
A Severe Thunderstorm Warning was issued for Williamson County around 8:15 p.m., and then canceled shortly after. However, it was enough for the Two Step Inn music festival in Georgetown to cancel shows for the rest of the evening. Event organizers say the festival will run as planned Sunday.
KXAN’s First Warning Weather team is monitoring the storms. We will update this post as the evening continues.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Governor Greg Abbott and the Texas Society Sons of the American Revolution unveiled a new monument at the Texas State Cemetery on Saturday, dedicated to Texas Revolutionary War soldiers.
“We must educate every generation about why it is that America grew from a tenuous 13 colonies into the most powerful country in the history of the world,” said Governor Abbott. “This monument here is an enduring testament to the heroes who fought for the freedom that is unique to America.”
The monument was dedicated to 69 soldiers who fought in the American Revolutionary War and later settled in Texas, according to a press release.
Among those that were honored, Abbott recognized:
- José Santiago Seguín, grandfather of Texas Revolutionary hero Juan Seguín.
- Peter Sides, who fought in the 2nd Battalion of the North Carolina Regiment of the Colonial Army, and was later killed in the 1813 Battle of Medina, fighting for Mexican independence against Spain.
- Antonio Gil Y’Barbo, the founder of Nacogdoches.
- William Sparks, who fought as a mounted rifleman in the American Revolution and later settled in Texas. He had two sons and two grandsons who fought in the Texas Revolution.
“This year marks the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, which not only gave freedom to the British colonies of North America, but inspired movements for freedom and liberty all over the world,” said TSSAR President Mel Oller. “Texans played a role in the war too, and it’s important to recognize them, and the sacrifices they made for our freedom.”
At the monument unveiling, Abbott was also inducted into the Sons of the American Revolution and received its Silver Good Citizenship Medal.
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