Last day for early voting in Texas: Why is turnout lower this year?

North Texas – Interest in the 2024 election is high, so why is turnout lower?

Today is the last day for early voting in Texas, and while turnout is expected to increase, officials predict it won’t reach the levels seen in the 2020 election.

So far, more than 42% of registered voters in Texas have cast their ballots, and that percentage is expected to increase as voters take advantage of the final day. However, current turnout is unlikely to match the more than 57% of registered voters who participated in early voting in 2020.

In Dallas County, 40% of registered voters cast ballots, down 15 percentage points from 2020.

Collin County has seen over 52% voter turnout, down 18 points from the last election.

In Denton County, voter turnout is just under 52%, down more than 12 points from 2020.

Data for Tarrant County will be available later today.

Voter turnout in these major DFW counties is lagging past numbers. But why?

An important factor is the number of early voting days. In 2020, voters had 18 days of early voting due to the pandemic. This year, that period was reduced to 12 days.

Is early voting still open?

Yes: To help increase voter turnout, Dallas County has extended voting hours, with polls open until 6 p.m. 21 today.

Tarrant County, Collin County and Denton County polling centers close at 19.00

For information on polling places and polling times, visit the Elections 2024 page.