Texas Early Voting Opens With a Record 19 Million Registered Voters and Tight Races at the Top
Early voting runs Oct. 19 through Oct. 30 ahead of the Nov. 3 election. Ken Paxton and James Talarico kick off final tours in a close Senate race, and Greg Abbott and Gina Hinojosa trade fire over an income tax.
By Claire Hollister, Politics and Policy
Published · 6 min read
The Overview
The facts, straight
BREAKING: Early voting in Texas opens Monday, Oct. 19, and runs through Friday, Oct. 30. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. All times ET.
Texans can start voting Monday. Early voting for the Nov. 3 general election "begins Monday, Oct. 19, and continues through Friday, Oct. 30," the Texas Secretary of State said. During early voting, voters may cast a ballot at any early voting location in their county of registration.
A record number of voters. Secretary of State Robert Howden announced Friday that Texas has 19,041,684 registered voters, which his office called "a record number for the state." That is up 2.2% from the November 2024 general election and 2% from the March 2026 primary, the office said. The county-by-county figures include 1,763,730 voters on the suspense list.
The Senate race. Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton and Democratic nominee James Talarico are both opening final tours. Paxton said Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. would help him "kick it off in Fort Worth."
Post: Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) on X, Oct. 18, 2026, 4:30 p.m. ET.
Paxton also invited supporters to "vote, then join me at Matt's Rancho Martinez at 11:30 AM" in Allen on Monday (post). Allen is on Central time, so that is 12:30 p.m. ET. President Trump endorsed Paxton on Saturday, writing that he "is the Greatest Attorney General in the History of Texas, and has my Complete and Total Endorsement to be the next U.S. Senator from Texas" (post).
Talarico launched what he calls the Clear Eyes, Full Hearts Tour on Sunday night "with some special guests from the cast of Friday Night Lights."
Post: James Talarico (@jamestalarico) on X, Oct. 18, 2026, 2:53 p.m. ET.
The polls. A CBS News/YouGov poll of 1,492 registered Texas voters, conducted Oct. 8–16, found the Senate race close among likely voters: Talarico 51%, Paxton 49%. In the governor's race, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott led Democratic state Rep. Gina Hinojosa 52% to 48% among likely voters (toplines). Both figures include voters leaning toward a candidate. CBS puts the margin of error at ±3.4 points for registered voters and ±3.5 points for likely voters, so both races are within the margin of error. Likely voters named cost of living as the most important issue in the Senate race (56%), followed by immigration and the border (23%), health care (12%) and taxes (9%).
How to vote. Bring one of seven acceptable forms of photo ID: a Texas driver license, Texas personal identification card, Texas election identification certificate, U.S. passport book or card, Texas handgun license, U.S. military ID card with a photograph, or U.S. citizenship certificate with a photograph. Voters who "do not possess and cannot reasonably obtain" an acceptable photo ID may be eligible to fill out a Reasonable Impediment Declaration and show an approved supporting document, the Secretary of State says. Leave campaign materials outside: electioneering is prohibited within 100 feet of an outside door through which a voter may enter a polling place. Phones and other devices that can record are not allowed within 100 feet of a voting station. Voters may bring printed notes or a paper sample ballot, the Secretary of State says. Applications for a mail ballot must be received by Friday, Oct. 23; mail voting is open to Texans who meet certain eligibility requirements, such as being 65 or older. To check your registration or find early voting sites in your county, go to VoteTexas.gov or your county elections office.
What the Left Says
The progressive and Democratic case
Democrats are pushing back on Republican attacks and urging supporters to turn out early. Talarico framed the final stretch in football terms: "We've come this far together. Now it's time to leave it all on the field."
In the governor's race, Hinojosa rejects Abbott's central attack. "I do not support a state income tax and have never voted to raise taxes. My plan as governor is to put money in your pocket," she wrote on X on Sunday (post). She told CBS Texas that her 2019 vote was "against a repeal of a constitutional ban on an income tax," and added, "It was already unconstitutional." CBS Texas reported that "legislative records show otherwise." According to the station, the 2019 measure, HJR 38, "changed the Texas Constitution to ban an income tax and made it nearly impossible to reverse," and voters approved it 76% to 24%.
Where Reality Likely Sits
Radio Purple's analysis
Both campaigns agree on the main thing: people should vote early and make a plan. The Secretary of State, Paxton, Talarico and Hinojosa all pushed the same Oct. 19 start date over the weekend.
On the income tax, the facts are on the record, and the two sides read them differently. Texas voters approved a constitutional ban in 2019, and legislative records cited by CBS Texas show Hinojosa voted against sending that amendment to voters. Abbott says that vote shows she wanted to keep an income tax possible. Hinojosa says a ban already existed and that she opposes an income tax.
The polls say both top races are close, within the margin of error. A record registration count gives both parties a bigger pool to turn out. Which will matter more to you at the ballot box: cost of living, the border, or who you trust on taxes?
What the Right Says
The conservative and Republican case
Paxton is casting the race in national terms. "We don’t have months anymore. We have days. If we lose Texas, we lose America," Paxton posted Sunday (post). He also announced the endorsement of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, saying he would "fight to cut taxes, roll back job-killing regulations" (post).
Abbott is pressing the income-tax issue. "To be clear, what I did was an effort to make a state income tax unconstitutional," he told CBS Texas. "I achieved my goal. She was against that because she wanted to hold out the possibility that a mere majority in the legislature would be able to impose a state income tax." In an earlier interview, he said: "She thinks that she can fool the voters. Texas voters are not going to be fooled." His campaign also points to a 2016 interview in which Hinojosa, then a candidate for the Texas House, said, "We rely so heavily in this state on property taxes, too heavily in my opinion, because we don't have the third leg of that stool that's required to have a robust and strong and resilient economy, which would include income taxes," according to CBS Texas.
Sources & Citations
- Texas Secretary of State, “Secretary Howden Announces Texas Has a Record 19 million Registered Voters”, October 16, 2026.
- Texas Secretary of State, “November 2026 Voter Registration Figures”, October 16, 2026.
- CBS News/YouGov, “CBS News Poll – October 8–16, 2026, Registered Voters in Texas (toplines)”, October 18, 2026.
- CBS News, “CBS News poll shows a Texas toss-up with Talarico, Paxton in tight Senate race”, October 18, 2026.
- X (@KenPaxtonTX), “Ken Paxton post on X (Fort Worth kickoff)”, October 18, 2026.
- X (@KenPaxtonTX), “Ken Paxton post on X (Allen kickoff)”, October 18, 2026.
- X (@jamestalarico), “James Talarico post on X (Clear Eyes, Full Hearts Tour)”, October 18, 2026.
- X (@realDonaldTrump), “Donald J. Trump post on X (Paxton endorsement)”, October 17, 2026.
- X (@GinaHinojosaTX), “Gina Hinojosa post on X (income tax)”, October 18, 2026.
- CBS Texas, “Abbott accuses Hinojosa of voting for state income tax after she voted against constitutional amendment ban”, October 12, 2026.
- CBS Texas (Jack Fink), “Hinojosa denies she voted against a ban on state income tax in Texas, contradicting legislative records”, October 13, 2026.
- Texans for Greg Abbott, “Even the Media Doesn't Buy High Tax Hinojosa's Lies About a State Income Tax”, October 15, 2026.
- Texas Secretary of State, “VoteTexas.gov”, January 1, 2026.
Positions above are attributed to the public statements and published reporting cited here. Quotations are taken from these sources; Radio Purple does not publish unattributed or invented quotes. See an error? Request a correction.