Texas
Here’s why federal monitors will not be at Texas polling places on Election Day
Tuesday is Election Day, and Texas has already seen robust, but not record-breaking, turnout during the early voting period.
Harris and Trump in the final stretch before Election Day
In the final stretch before Election Day, both Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris will have events in North Carolina and Wisconsin today.
Fox – Seattle
Texas’ top elections official has told federal authorities that their plan to send monitors to voting sites on Tuesday in eight counties would violate state law.
“Texas law is clear: Justice Department monitors are not permitted inside a polling place where ballots are being cast or at a central counting station where ballots are being counted,” Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson said in a letter to Jasmyn Richardson, deputy chief of the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division for elections.
The letter was in response to the Justice Department’s announcement last week that it planned to have monitors in 86 jurisdictions across 27 states on Election Day to make sure federal voting rights laws are being followed. The Texas sites would have included polling sites in Harris, Dallas, Bexar and Hays counties.
Meanwhile, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Monday said his office plans to deploy a special elections unit in several counties to “to monitor day-of election activity” and address any election-related lawsuits that might be filed.
“The Election Day Rapid Response Legal Team will be equipped to enforce Texas election laws and take immediate action on any contingencies, including issues seen in previous cycles such as ballot shortages, extended polling location closures, and improper extension of voting hours,” Paxton’s office said in a news release. “Similarly, the OAG will prepare to take defensive action against activist groups who might attempt to influence the election through litigation.”
What Texas early voting patterns show
Even before the opening of the polls Tuesday, a little more than 9 million Texans had cast ballots either in person or by mail during the early voting period. That’s nearly half of the state’s total registered voters, but the pace lagged behind the 2020 presidential election.
The statewide early turnout, nonetheless, was robust.
“With the exception of 2020, more people have already voted than the total number of people who voted in any previous presidential election,” said Texas voting data expert Derek Ryan, who for the past several elections has provided in-depth analyses of early voting patterns.
Four years ago, 11.3 million Texans voted in the general election and about 9.7 million, or 66.7%, cast early ballots, according to Ryan’s data. In 2016, about 60% of the nearly 9 million total voters turned out early.
Ryan said that when the number of likely voters who did not cast early ballots is taken into consideration, an Election Day turnout of 3 million is possible, and that would put the Texas turnout at more than 12 million.
Travis County Clerk Dyana Limon-Mercado said at a news conference Monday that her office is expecting 100,000 to 200,000 people to cast ballots at the county’s 176 voting sites on Election Day.
Any voter who is in line by the 7 p.m. poll-closing time will be able to cast a ballot.
Acceptable forms of ID to bring to the polls
- Texas driver’s license
- Texas election ID certificate
- Texas personal ID card
- Texas handgun license
- U.S. citizenship certificate with photo
- U.S. military ID card with photo
- U.S. passport
What if you have no acceptable ID?
Anyone unable to present one of the forms of ID listed above may fill out a Reasonable Impediment Declaration at the polls and present an alternative form of ID. Alternative forms of ID include the following, whether they are originals or copies:
- A government document that shows the voter’s name and an address, including a voter registration certificate.
- A current utility bill.
- A bank statement.
- A government check.
- A paycheck.
- Either (a) a certified domestic (from a U.S. state or territory) birth certificate or (b) a document confirming birth admissible in a court of law that establishes the voter’s identity (which may include a foreign birth document).
Staff writer Ella McCarthy contributed to this report.
Election results
To get the latest updates on local, state and national elections, visit statesman.com.
HOUSTON, TEXAS – MAY 27: Democratic Senate Candidate James Talarico speaks at a rally at Rich’s Houston on May 27, 2026 in Houston, Texas. Talarico held the rally after the primary runoff and to explain his plan on how he will take on Republican nominee Ken Paxton. (Photo by Danielle Villasana/Getty Images)
Texas has reported 48 cases of Cyclospora, a foodborne illness caused by a parasite that health experts say can lead to severe gastrointestinal symptoms.
Dr. David Winter, an internal medicine physician with Baylor Scott & White, said cyclospora infections typically increase during the summer. However, he said the current increase affecting several states could become the worst in years.
At least 20 people nationwide have been hospitalized with symptoms that can last for weeks.
“It’s really bad disease right now and sometimes you get in your intestines and that gives you these horrible cramps and gurgling and then diarrhea. In fact, the diarrhea is so bad, they call it explosive diarrhea,” Winter said.
Cyclospora is caused by a parasite rather than a virus or bacteria. Winter said the parasite multiplies inside the intestines, contributing to recurring symptoms.
“It’s a parasite. It’s not a virus, it is not bacteria. So the parasite, once it gets in your intestine, it starts to multiply. And then when it builds up a certain amount, then it comes out with this explosion, and then it starts multiply again,” Winter said.
The illness spreads through food or water contaminated with infected feces and is rarely transmitted from person to person.
The source of the current outbreak is unknown. Previous outbreaks have been linked to fresh fruits and vegetables, including basil, cilantro, raspberries and snow peas.
Doctors recommend thoroughly washing fresh produce before eating it to help reduce the risk of infection.
For many people, symptoms can be managed at home, and antibiotics are also effective, according to Winter.
He said patients with severe diarrhea should let their doctor know about their symptoms because many routine stool tests do not automatically screen for cyclospora.
“Most stool tests in laboratories don’t look for this. So you want to be sure and tell your doctor, I’ve got this, quote, explosive diarrhea. I’m cramping, I feel like hell, I have all this fatigue,” Winter said.
While the infection is uncommon, Winter said it can be especially difficult for those who become sick.
“It’s rare, but boy when you get it, it is tough,” Winter said.
This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC DFW. AI tools helped convert the story into a digital article, and an NBC DFW journalist edited it again before publication.
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