It’s been just over a week into early voting in the local region and Democratic voters have already made a large impression in the election.
There were 4,800 El Pasoans who voted on the first day of early voting, according to the office of the Texas Secretary of State, and there was a significant jump in Democratic voter numbers.
In just the first day, 4,018 Democratic and 791 Republican votes were cast on the first day of early voting. The increase went up 86 percent for Democrats compared to the 2014 election, and a 170 percent increase compared to the 2016 presidential primary ballot. The Republicans also saw a small increase from the 2016 election, where 777 votes were cast on the first day.
Former El Paso Times editor Bob Moore reported Monday morning that the counties with the most Democratic votes compared to Republican votes were all border cities, with Hidalgo, Cameron and El Paso leading the way. The most Republican to Democratic votes were cast by suburban cities around Houston, including Montgomery, Brazoria and Galveston.
However, Moore also reported that a seemingly drastic partisanship shift has occurred in Texas in just a week of voting, with the Democrats having a 28,000 voting edge over Republicans in the state’s six major urban counties, compared to 2014 when the Republicans had a 34,000 voting edge over the Democrats.
If you can’t make it this week to early voting, the primaries are on March 6. Here is what you need to remember before heading to the polls:
Seats up for grab:
There are eight candidates for the race to replace Rep. Beto O’Rourke in the 16th Congressional District. The Texas Senate position is up for grabs as well as Senator Ted Cruz hopes to defend his seat from O’Rourke. The governor’s position has incumbent Greg Abbott running against nine Democratic and two Republican challengers.
The lieutenant governor’s position is also up for grabs as well for current Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. Attorney General Ken Paxton will also defend his seat this election cycle.
Propositions:
Check out EPCountyVotes.com to see exactly which candidates and propositions will be on the ballot. There are 12 propositions to vote for or against on the Democratic ballot and 11 on the Republican ballot, encompassing topics such as whether a universal Medicare-for-all should be implemented on the Democratic ballot, to school choice on the Republican ballot.
What form of ID to bring:
When heading to the polls make sure to have either your state driver’s license, Texas election identification certificate, Texas personal ID, Texas license to carry a handgun, U.S. military ID card that includes a personal photo, U.S. citizenship certificate that includes a personal photo or a U.S. passport.
Are you registered to vote?
To make sure you are registered to vote, visit either the Texas Secretary of State or El Paso County Votes websites and enter your full name, birth date, zip code and the county you live in to check if you are registered.
