Early voting in Texas is surging ahead of the November 3 midterm elections, with millions of voters casting ballots. But the unusually high turnout is also exposing problems with the state's election system.
Nearly 4.5 million Texans voted during the first seven days, representing 23.4% of registered voters. That's ahead of the pace in the 2022 midterms, although slightly below the comparable period in 2018.
In Bexar County, nearly 301,000 ballots had been cast by Sunday, and election officials say overall turnout could rival or surpass the 2024 presidential election.
But voters are encountering significant challenges.
Some polling locations have reported waits of two to four hours, raising concerns about whether lengthy lines could discourage participation and create barriers to voting.
There have also been isolated complaints of touchscreen voting machines changing voters' selections. Election officials say touchscreen sensitivity may explain the discrepancies, and there is no verified evidence of deliberate vote switching. Voters are being urged to inspect their printed ballots before casting them.
Registration problems have created additional uncertainty.
Approximately 159,000 Bexar County voters were placed on the state's voter suspense list because of questions about their addresses. Those voters remain eligible to cast ballots, although they may need to confirm their residence.
Meanwhile, a Texas Department of Public Safety software failure delayed hundreds of thousands of voter registration records statewide. Bexar County officials say they processed their backlog before early voting began.
Guest:
Michele Carew is the Bexar County Elections Administrator.
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