Early Voting Opens in Travis County as Texas Eyes a Possible Democratic Breakthrough
Polls opened across Travis County this morning, the first day of a 12-day early voting period that could shape whether Democrats end three decades of Republican statewide dominance in Texas.
Statewide, the stakes are high.
Early ballots made up roughly 80 percent of the vote in 2024 and about two-thirds in 2022, so campaigns will be pushing supporters to the polls through Oct. 30.
The Senate candidates, Republican Ken Paxton and Democrat James Talarico, hold dueling rallies in Fort Worth tonight.
What Austin voters need to know
Early voting runs through Friday, Oct. 30, generally from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., with some sites staying open until 10 p.m. on the final Thursday and Friday. Travis County voters can cast a ballot at any polling site in the county, and Election Day is Nov. 3. Voters must show an accepted photo ID. The last day to apply for a mail ballot (received, not postmarked) is Oct. 23.
TRAVIS COUNTY CLERK WEBSITE: VoteTravis.gov
County Clerk Dyana Limon-Mercado says Travis County has about 940,000 registered voters and roughly 27,000 mail-ballot applications. Her office is staffing 201 Election Day polling places with more than 1,000 workers, and she warned that first-time voters may be surprised by how long the ballot is.
Turnout history
Travis County’s early vote is the number to watch. In 2020, a presidential year with an extra week of early voting, about 65 percent of registered voters cast early ballots. In 2022, the last midterm, the figure fell to about 37 percent.
| Year | Registered voters | Early votes | Early vote as % of registered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 725,035 | 363,565 | 50.1% |
| 2018 | 774,302 | 349,045 | 45% |
| 2020 | 854,577 | 553,103 | 64.7% |
| 2022 | 886,480 | 330,658 | 37.3% |
Enthusiasm this year looks strong.
Nearly 171,000 Travis County voters cast early ballots in the March primary, the highest primary early turnout since 2008. On the first day of early voting in 2022, 3.99 percent of registered voters cast ballots, a benchmark for today’s numbers. Day-one totals for 2026 were not yet available at publication.
Sources:
- Texas Secretary of State, “Travis County Voter Registration Figures,” https://www.sos.texas.gov/elections/historical/travis.shtml
- FOX 7 Austin, “2026 election: Travis County early voting hours, locations,” https://www.fox7austin.com/election/travis-county-early-voting-hours-locations
- FOX 7 Austin, “2026 midterm elections: Travis County gives behind-the-scenes look ahead of early voting,” https://www.fox7austin.com/news/travis-county-early-voting-behind-the-scenes
- Travis County Elections, 2026 Elections Calendar, https://votetravis.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026-Elections-Calendar-EngSpn.pdf
- KEDT/KERA, “Travis County early voting reaches highest level for a primary election in almost two decades,” https://www.kedt.org/statewide-election-news-coverage/2026-03-03/travis-county-early-voting-reaches-highest-level-for-a-primary-election-in-almost-two-decades
- KVUE, “Travis County voter turnout on first day of early voting up compared to 2021,” https://kvue.com/article/news/politics/vote-texas/travis-williamson-early-voting-turnout-2022-election/269-fde22f68-7a35-4966-8ac5-fec376ba2030
- Statewide early-vote shares, Senate race and Fort Worth rallies: background text supplied with the request
Manor Police are investigating back-to-back false emergency calls made on Sunday, including a hoax hostage situation and a fake shooting report.
Officers first responded to an alleged armed hostage situation at 5:31 a.m. Sunday morning, which was quickly cleared as a hoax. Later in the afternoon, police were called back out to another fake emergency after a caller claimed their father had shot their mother.
Both incidents are under investigation.
A man was seriously injured after being shot by someone inside his vehicle before crashing in downtown Austin Friday evening, according to the Austin Police Department.
The incident happened near West 10th Street and North Lamar Boulevard.
Work is well underway on a multi-billion-dollar reconstruction of Interstate 35 near downtown Austin—one of the area’s largest freeway expansion projects in decades. Ground first broke two years ago this October, launching what is expected to be a decade-long overhaul of the critical corridor. (My San Antonio)
WEATHER
SUNDAY’S HIGH / LOW TEMPERATURES
AUSTIN-BERGSTROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
CAMP MABRY
5-DAY FORECAST / AUSTIN, TEXAS
A Super El Niño is building in the Pacific, and it could reshape Texas weather this fall and winter. Meteorologist Trey Greenwood breaks down what El Niño is, why this one is being called “super,” and what it could mean for rain, temperatures, snow, and severe weather across Texas.
A quick glance at the federal, state and local elected offices that are up for election this year, according to the Texas Secretary of State. (Texas Tribune)
Bexar County Commissioner Tommy Calvert released a statement that ICE is not allowed at polling sites.
A 56-year-old Mexican man held at a federal immigration facility in Laredo was found dead in his cell Saturday morning, his daughter and U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, confirmed to The Texas Tribune. (Texas Tribune)
An Air Force service member died Saturday evening after a rappelling accident during a pregame ceremony at the Alamodome ahead of UTSA’s football game against Navy. (Texas Public Radio)
A Texas man serving 60 years for a series of 2024 armed robberies is asking a federal appeals court to overturn his conviction, arguing that police created an unconstitutional “pattern of life” surveillance dragnet using Flock’s AI camera network across Dallas–Fort Worth. (Texas Tribune)
President Trump is easing pressure on Russia by waiving new sanctions as Ukraine continues striking Russian energy targets and tensions deepen between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Democratic candidates are outraising Republicans across many competitive midterm races, while Elon Musk pours hundreds of millions into GOP super PACs.
France is facing one of its biggest political crises in years after nationwide protests erupted into violence, with thousands arrested and the unrest already shaping a presidential election six months away.
(00:47) Huffines Bars Taxpayer Funding for Discriminatory DEI Programs…
(01:39) School Wants Tax Increase as Enrollment Declines…
(02:32) State’s Role in Protecting Critical Infrastructure…
(03:29) Texans Win Safeguards in Temu Settlement…
A court hearing is set for Wednesday in Kerr County regarding search warrants connected to the deadly 2025 floods at Camp Mystic.
The 2026 State Fair of Texas wrapped up its 24-day run at Fair Park in Dallas, celebrating 140 years of Texas tradition.
Attendance Figures
- Total Attendance: Nearly 2.1 million fairgoers visited Fair Park during the event.
Historical Comparisons
After seeing a notable dip in 2025 due to inflation/cost concerns and unseasonably warm weather, attendance stabilized and ticked slightly back upward in 2026:
- 2026: 2,100,000 attendees
- 2025: 2,020,064 attendees (down ~365,000 from 2024)
- 2024: 2,385,855 attendees
- 2023: 2,340,000 attendees
- 2022: 2,548,289 attendees (post-pandemic peak)
- 2021: 2,200,000 attendees
Key Highlights & Fun Stats from the Run
Beyond general gate counts, fair organizers shared notable statistics covering food, agriculture, and operations during the 24-day run:
- Corny Dogs: Fairgoers consumed approximately 450,000 Fletcher’s Original Corny Dogs.
- Sweet & Savory Eats: Chamoy Treats’ Candy Watermelon used roughly 10,000 watermelons (~1 acre equivalent of watermelons) across the fair.
- Midway Games: Over 375,000 balloons were popped at Midway game booths.
- Livestock & Agriculture: The fair hosted over 14,505 livestock and contest entries.
- Birthing Barn: The Livestock Birthing Barn celebrated 90+ animal births (50 piglets, 17 calves, 15 goats, 8 lambs, and numerous chicks).
- Guest Assistance: Big Tex Contact Center staff handled nearly 7,000 phone inquiries.
SPORTS
NFL: Texas standard-bearers experienced opposing fortunes across the globe on Sunday, as C.J. Stroud spearheaded a thrilling 34–31 victory for the Houston Texans over the divisional rival Jacksonville Jaguars at London’s Wembley Stadium, while Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys sputtered in the frozen tundra, suffering a 23–13 loss to the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.
Houston Texans surge back into the playoff mix as C.J. Stroud delivers a masterclass performance against the Jacksonville Jaguars. With over 300 passing yards and 3 touchdowns, Stroud orchestrates an explosive offense alongside play-caller Nick Caley, breaking through Jacksonville’s tough defense for a 34-31 victory at Wembley. Can Houston’s offense keep firing on all cylinders as the season heats up?
WEEK 7
WEEK 7
COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Just a week removed from sitting atop the college football landscape, the Texas Longhorns find themselves in freefall, dropping to No. 19 in the latest AP Top 25 Poll following a stunning 27-24 loss to unranked Florida on Saturday.
The defeat—Texas’ second consecutive loss after squandering an early double-digit lead—has sent shockwaves through Austin and critically damaged the Longhorns’ SEC title and College Football Playoff aspirations.
The Longhorns’ playoff hopes hit critical juncture as questions swirl around Arch Manning’s starting job. Can Steve Sarkisian turn things around by sticking with Manning, or is it time for KJ Lacey to spark a struggling offense?
NHL: The Plano Independent School District has reached an agreement to contribute up to $250 million in tax revenue for a new arena for the Dallas Stars in Plano.
Plans for the deal are expected to be unveiled at a meeting today.
Pizza that traveled 1,500 miles from Connecticut to Main Street in Garland, Texas?
