As early voting heads into the last week before the November 5th Presidential, Federal, and State elections here are some numbers to ponder.
Four years ago, the State of Texas had 16,955,519 registered voters, and that number has now risen to 18,623,931—an increase of 1,668,412 registered voters. However, early voting and ballot-by-mail returns indicate that Texas is not experiencing the same level of turnout as it did in 2020. As of Sunday, October 27th, according to the Texas Secretary of State, there have been 5,432,905 cumulative in-person and mail voters. In comparison, on the same date four years ago, Sunday, October 25, 2020, there were 7,373,004 voters. This reflects a difference of 1,940,099 voters, meaning there are almost two million fewer cumulative in-person and mail voters compared to four years ago, despite having 1.6 million more registered voters.
For Terry County, the situation mirrors that of Texas, although the number of registered voters has dropped by 177. As of Sunday, October 27, there have been 1,640 cumulative in-person and mail voters in Terry County. In comparison, on Sunday, October 25, 2020, there were 2,259 cumulative in-person and mail voters, which indicates a decline of 619 voters. If Terry County voters aim to reach a total of 2,879 cumulative in-person and mail voters by the end of the week, they will need to cast an additional 1,239 early and mail-in ballots.
On the National stage, most states are breaking records with cumulative in-person and mail voters. As of October 25th, 38,139,944 votes had been cast in this category. In 2020, the final total for cumulative in-person and mail voters was 101,453,111. To reach that same threshold again before the end of the week, the nation will need to gather an additional 63,313,167 votes.
States that offer early voting and mail-in ballots to all voters:
Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia offer early voting options to all voters. Here are the states that offer both early in-person voting and mail voting to everyone, according to the Center for Election Innovation and Research.
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California: All active, registered voters automatically receive ballot.
- Colorado: All active, registered voters automatically receive ballot.
- D.C.: All active, registered voters automatically receive ballot.
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii: All active, registered voters automatically receive ballot.
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- MInnesota
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada: All active, registered voters automatically receive ballot.
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon: All active, registered voters automatically receive ballot.
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Dakota
- Utah: All active, registered voters automatically receive ballot.
- Vermont: All active, registered voters automatically receive ballot.
- Virginia
- Washington: All active, registered voters automatically receive ballot.
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
States that offer early voting for all but require an eligible reason for mail-in ballots
Here are the states that have early in-person voting but require an eligible reason to vote by mail:
- Connecticut
- Indiana
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Missouri
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Texas
- West Virginia
States where no early voting option is available to all voters, and an eligible reason to vote by mail is needed
Three states do not offer early voting and require an eligible reason to vote by mail, which means not everyone in these states has an option to vote on any day but Election Day:
- Alabama
- Mississippi
- New Hampshire
There are 27 states that are currently leaning toward the Republicans in early voting, with Texas being one of them. In the battleground states, the situation is mixed. Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, and North Carolina are leaning red, while Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin are leaning Democratic.
