Early voting is currently taking place in Travis County for this year’s primary election, which is set to conclude on Friday, March 3. As the voting period progresses, turnout figures reveal that participation levels are the highest for a primary election since 2008, based on data from the Texas Secretary of State.
In the first week of early voting, nearly 9% of the more than 920,000 registered voters in Travis County have cast their ballots. Among these, approximately 7%—equating to around 63,000 individuals—participated in the Democratic primary, while just over 16,000 voters opted for the Republican primary, according to the Travis County Clerk’s office.
This turnout significantly surpasses that of almost every primary election over the last two decades, including those during presidential election years.
For context, in 2016, when Texas Senator Ted Cruz was on the ballot alongside Donald Trump, Marco Rubio, and John Kasich, a comparable percentage of registered Republican voters had voted during the first week of early voting. Conversely, less than 4% of registered Democrats in Travis County had participated in the primary that year, where they were deciding between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.
Historically, voter turnout in Texas primary elections has been low. However, this year has seen a marked increase in participation, particularly among Democratic voters across the state.
Political science professor Matthew Wilson from Southern Methodist University commented that Democrats have not previously faced particularly engaging primaries or had a realistic chance of securing statewide offices. This year, however, the dynamic has shifted.
The U.S. Senate Democratic primary race between U.S. Representative Jasmine Crockett and Texas Representative James Talarico has garnered national attention, with both candidates utilizing social media effectively to engage voters and attract coverage from major national news outlets.
“It certainly means that there’s more hope on their side,” Wilson noted. “For various reasons, they’ve got a fighting chance to achieve significant gains in the fall.”
Republican voter turnout has also seen an uptick, albeit not as pronounced. Travis County GOP Chair Jennifer Fleck indicated that some voters might still be undecided due to the presence of several state offices lacking incumbents.
“I think a lot of voters maybe don’t know how to vote,” she remarked.
In addition to Travis County, voter participation is also rising in neighboring Williamson and Hays counties. So far, nearly 25,000 Democrats and 17,941 Republicans have voted in Williamson County, while more than 11,000 Democrats and nearly 6,000 Republicans have participated in Hays County.
Early voting will continue until February 27, leading up to Election Day on March 3. Residents can find resources to assist them in planning their votes in Travis County.
