Voters across major Texas urban centers shattered historical midterm turnout figures on the opening day of early voting for the November 3, 2026 election. Counties including Dallas, Harris, Collin, and Denton recorded high numbers of in-person ballots, outpacing previous midterm cycles and even surpassing some presidential election benchmarks, according to local election officials.
Record-Breaking Turnout in Dallas County and Harris County
Dallas County registered a record 87,482 ballots cast in person on Monday, Oct. 19, according to data from the Dallas County Democratic Party cited by dallasvoice.com. This total surpassed the opening day of the 2024 presidential election. The Texas Secretary of State’s office reported that more than 103,000 people voted in person that day in Dallas County, though Dallas County Elections Administrator Paul Adams did not immediately respond to an inquiry explaining the statistical discrepancy, dallasnews.com reported. Meanwhile, Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins noted on X that turnout had already hit 63,168 by 5 p.m. Monday, beating the entire first-day total from 2024 by more than 6,500 votes, dallasvoice.com noted.
As of 3pm, we're up to 49,400 voters in Dallas County for the first day of early voting. Let's keep up the momentum y'all! pic.twitter.com/SOvgpxmQgL
In Southeast Texas, Harris County shattered its previous midterm opening-day record. The Harris County Elections Department confirmed that 104,600 in-person voters cast ballots by the close of polls on Monday. That figure surpassed the prior midterm record of 63,188 set in 2018, according to FOX 26 Houston. The county also processed 24,794 mail ballots by Monday.
North Texas Growth in Collin and Denton Counties
North Texas also posted heavy initial numbers. Collin County recorded 34,739 early votes on the first day, marking an increase of more than 15,000 compared to the opening day in 2022. Denton County mirrored that exact figure with 34,739 ballots, up more than 17,000 from its 2022 midterm baseline, dallasvoice.com reported. Across the state, Texas enters the election cycle with more than 19 million registered voters, representing an increase of about 1.4 million since 2022, dallasnews.com noted.
North Texas Voters Face Local Tax and Arena Proposals
Beyond federal and statewide offices, North Texas voters face significant local decisions. These include a Dallas County property tax increase aimed at funding homelessness initiatives, and a Collin County proposal designed to help finance a new Dallas Stars arena located in Plano, dallasnews.com reported. Concurrently, Gov. Greg Abbott launched a statewide voting tour, making stops in Tarrant County and Harris County. Campaign spokesperson Eduardo Leal stated that the governor is meeting with voters to discuss policies regarding property taxes, public safety, border security, and affordability, dallasnews.com reported.
Analysts Urge Caution with Early Turnout Metrics
Despite the high initial volume, election analysts urge caution when interpreting single-day metrics. Renzo Downey of The Texas Tribune noted that it remains difficult to draw broad conclusions from day-one figures alone, quoting consultant Derek Ryan as saying that campaigns from both political parties often interpret rising turnout as an advantage for their respective sides, dallasvoice.com reported. Current turnout data is not yet broken down by political party and excludes mail-in ballots. Representatives for the Talarico campaign declined to comment on the ongoing election developments, and spokespeople for Paxton’s campaign did not respond to email inquiries, dallasnews.com reported.
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