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Texas early voting record

News · Heat 5.9 / 10 · 4 shows · 29m airtime

On October 19, 2026, major Texas counties reported record first-day early voting turnout: Harris above 104,000 ballots, Dallas at 76,079, Tarrant above 50,000 and Collin at 34,500, all well above 2022. The discussion has widened from raw turnout to the electorate behind it: registration stands at 19 million, up 7.7 percent from November 2022, a CBS Austin poll puts Talarico at 60 percent among independents, and first-day voting showed a 19-point swing among primary voters toward Democrats. Early voting now stands at 5.5 million, versus 4.5 million early in 2022 and 7.3 million in 2024, with Texas on track for almost 10 million votes. What remains open is whether the surge signals a durable shift or a one-cycle spike.

How 4 podcasts covered it

  1. The Megyn Kelly Show, 2026-10-21 (2:30 to 7:03)
    Reports record first-day early voting in Texas
    Reports record first-day early voting across Tarrant, Dallas, Collin and Harris counties, all far above 2022, and frames it around the tightening Paxton-Talarico race, Musk's $158 million and the Abbott-Hinojosa contest.
    New angle: Harris County's 104,000-plus first-day ballots set a new record, with Dallas more than doubling its 2022 total.
  2. Breaking Points with Krystal and Saagar, 2026-10-21 (4:02 to 10:25)
    Adds Texas registration and independent polling
    Walks through Texas registration and early-vote modeling alongside Virginia and Florida numbers, then a Times chart of presidential approval. The Texas material adds new figures: 19 million registrations and a CBS Austin poll of independents.
    New angle: Texas registration is at 19 million, up 7.7 percent from November 2022, and 60 percent of independents back Talarico in a CBS Austin poll.
  3. The Bulwark Daily, 2026-10-22 (45:20 to 47:32)
    Adds a 19-point swing in first-day voting
    Adds a new read on the Texas early vote: a 19-point swing among first-day voters who had cast primary ballots, with the hosts warning it may just be Democrats voting early. Kinzinger reports from a University of Houston rally for Talarico and flags a Fox poll tied and a Gallup poll up five.
    New angle: First-day Texas early voting showed a 19-point swing among primary voters toward Democrats.
  4. Breaking Points with Krystal and Saagar, 2026-10-23 (39:43 to 53:40)
    Interviews Theo on the Texas turnout surge
    Interviews Theo of TheoElections.com, who puts the Texas surge in proportion: turnout is tracking near 2018's 53 percent and almost 10 million votes, the highest midterm turnout since 1976, with about 60 percent of early voters having no primary history. He also flags Dallas running ahead of 2024.
    New angle: Texas is on track for almost 10 million votes, the highest midterm turnout since 1976, with about 60 percent of early voters non-primary voters.
  5. The Dan Bongino Show, 2026-10-30 (17:31 to 19:37)
    Reports Texas early voting at 5.5 million
    Plays a Mark Halperin clip putting Texas early voting at 5.5 million, against 4.5 million early in 2022 and 7.3 million in 2024, and notes three rural GOP counties and two rural Democratic counties are turning out at about the same pace. Bongino's own contribution is the secret-ballot caveat.
    New angle: Texas early voting stands at 5.5 million, versus 4.5 million early in 2022 and 7.3 million in 2024.
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