For years, we’ve urged Texans to register and vote, and this year they’re doing it.
Based on the first week of early voting, Texans are casting ballots in history-making numbers, with many standing in long lines to make sure they can express their preference.
Nearly 17 million Texans registered to vote in the general election on Nov. 3, up 1.85 million from the 15.1 million registered voters in the 2016 presidential election. Increased voter engagement was reflected all over the state, with votes cast so far this year outpacing 2016 turnout in all eight of the state’s most populous counties. The percentages of registered voters having cast ballots in person or by mail in those counties was upwards of 14%.
We’ll stay away from the politics of 2020 for now and count these numbers as something we would like to see every election cycle, whether it’s a presidential election year or not. Presidents matter, but so do down-ballot races in a presidential election year, as do school board and council races in years when voters are not picking a president. And that is a reason we publish a Voter Guide to help voters make their decisions. You can agree or disagree with our recommendations, but casting an informed ballot is your civic obligation.
Consistent with history, older voters — those ages 50 to 69 — cast about 40% of the early vote, according to Ryan Data and Research, a political consulting company that focuses on voter data. However, a bit of a disappointing surprise comes from voters between the ages of 18 to 29, a demographic that historically has lagged other voter demographics. So far this year, slightly more than 8% of the votes cast come from this age group, and just slightly more than 24% came from 30-to-49-year-olds.
Despite the long lines, the voting process has been mostly smooth. With an extra few days to vote early this year, people who want to cast their ballot in person have time to do it. It might sound like a cliche, but voting is a right and an obligation that each of us affirm when we cast our ballot. If you haven’t cast your vote, do it today or make a plan for which day you will vote. Either way, make your voice heard.
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