7 min read
Major Takeaways
Texas early voting opened Monday with record first day turnout statewide.
Harris County counted more than 104600 voters in person on day one.
Dallas County counted 76079 voters, the most it has ever recorded.
Black voters in Houston and Dallas form a huge share of that surge.
Tarrant County voters faced long lines and far fewer Election Day sites.
Texas Early Voting Opens With A Record Surge
Texas early voting began Monday for the November 3 midterm election.
Voters did not wait for the final days to make their move.
They showed up on day one in numbers that rewrote county records.
Texas entered this election with more than 19 million registered voters.
That is the largest voter roll the state has ever carried.
The opening day surge spread across every major urban county.
Houston led the state, and Dallas set an all time county record.
Austin and San Antonio also ran far ahead of the last midterm.
For Black Texans, the message from day one was unmistakable.
Our communities intend to be counted early and in full.
Read more in our News coverage of voting fights across the country.
Harris County Breaks Its Midterm Record By Midafternoon
Harris County is home to Houston and millions of Black voters.
By 3:30 p.m. Monday, officials had processed more than 70000 voters.
That figure alone broke the county midterm record set in 2018.
The old first day midterm mark stood at 63188 votes.
By the time polls closed, the count passed 104600 in person voters.
Another 24794 mail ballots had also arrived by Monday.
The county announced the record while hours of voting still remained.
Harris County voters may cast a ballot at any county voting site.
That rule applies throughout the early voting period in the county.
It gives working families far more room to find a short line.
It also gives elders and parents more chances to vote on time.
Houston has long been a center of Black political power in Texas.
Day one showed that power arriving at the polls in force.
Dallas County Tops Every Opening Day In Its History
Dallas County recorded 76079 voters on the first day of voting.
County Judge Clay Jenkins shared the total from the elections department.
It is the most the county has ever seen on an opening day.
The prior record was 60573 voters on day one in 2020.
That record came during a presidential election year.
Dallas also beat its first day total from 2024 by nearly 20000.
The county counted just 56431 opening day voters that year.
Against the last midterm in 2022, the jump was even larger.
Dallas counted only 32605 voters on day one four years ago.
Monday more than doubled that midterm figure in a single day.
The Senate race helped fuel the rush to the polls.
Republican Ken Paxton faces Democrat James Talarico for the Senate seat.
Many observers compare this race to the famous 2018 Senate fight.
That year Ted Cruz beat Beto O Rourke in a close contest.
Dallas counted 59388 votes on day one during that heated race.
Monday left even that landmark total far behind.
Long Lines And Closed Sites In Tarrant County
Tarrant County, home to Fort Worth, also surged on day one.
Voters cast 50409 ballots in person across the county Monday.
Mail returns added 11935 more ballots to the county total.
The combined total reached 62344 ballots on the first day.
That ran well ahead of the 2022 midterm pace in the county.
Lines outside many sites stretched to 30 or 45 minutes.
Some voters said the wait was longer than they had expected.
Oliver Johnson said he came early to get it out of the way.
He said he thought he would arrive before everybody else did.
Ericka Rhodes expected to be in and out much faster.
She said the wait was a little long but worth it.
Sandra Howell said the stakes brought her out on day one.
She said voters wanted to be sure they were there early.
Many Tarrant voters had a practical reason to vote this week.
The county will open 92 fewer polling sites on Election Day.
Commissioners voted in September to close those sites for this election.
Just 224 sites will open in the county on November 3.
County Judge Tim O Hare argued the closed sites drew low turnout.
He said the closures would save one million dollars for taxpayers.
Some Democrats called the move voter suppression in plain terms.
A county judge blocked a lawsuit request to reopen the sites.
For Black voters in Fort Worth, those closures raise the stakes.
Voting early is now the surest way to beat a closed door.
Our California voting charges report shows the same fight in another state.
Collin County Glitches Test Voter Patience
Collin County counted 34522 ballots on the opening day of voting.
That was roughly 15000 more than its first day in 2022.
The strong start came despite trouble at some polling sites.
Printer issues tied to paper ballots caused delays Monday morning.
Some voters said they had to leave because of the problems.
Others reported being turned away at sites with the issues.
Every voter turned away is a warning sign for election officials.
Black voters know that history far too well in this country.
Small failures at the door can quietly shrink a community voice.
County officials now have days to fix the problems for good.
Early voting gives affected voters a path back to the ballot.
That second chance is one strong reason to vote before November 3.
Austin And San Antonio Join The Statewide Wave
Travis County counted 40777 voters in person on Monday.
That ran about 60 percent ahead of its first day in 2022.
Mail ballots pushed the Travis combined total to 49175 votes.
That equaled more than five percent of its registered voters.
Bexar County, home to San Antonio, counted 42333 voters Monday.
That total rose about 32 percent from its start in 2022.
Denton County counted 34739 voters on the opening day.
That was an increase of more than 17000 from 2022.
The pattern held from the Gulf Coast to the Red River.
Big counties opened fast, and voters kept coming all day.
Election officials now prepare for a busy stretch of voting days.
Past midterms saw turnout dip, then surge again near the close.
Day one is an early signal, and signals can still shift.
But a record opening across Texas is hard to wave away.
What Texas Early Voting Means For Black Voters
Black voters shape outcomes in Houston, Dallas, and Fort Worth.
Strong early turnout protects that voice against Election Day chaos.
It guards against closed sites, broken machines, and long lines.
It also builds momentum that campaigns and churches can see.
Texas early voting runs through October 30 in every county.
Dallas polls open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. most days.
On Sunday, Dallas polls open at noon and close at 6 p.m.
Voters had to be registered by October 5 for this election.
Election Day follows on Tuesday, November 3 across the state.
The Senate race and every statewide office sit on the ballot.
All 38 Texas seats in the House are also on the ballot.
Local races and judgeships will shape daily life for years.
Black Texans showed on Monday that they understand those stakes.
The task now is to keep the lines moving all week.
Bring a neighbor, check on an elder, and make a plan.
Stay with Urban City Podcast for turnout updates through Election Day.
