More than 7.7 million Texans voted early in the 2026 midterm election, according to preliminary data from the secretary of state's office as of Sunday morning. The office said that puts turnout at 40.5%, surpassing the previous modern-day high for a midterm election, set in 2018. In-person early voting ended Friday.
Mark Jones, a political science professor at Rice University, said the turnout is high but not at presidential-election levels. He said the open question is how many votes are still to be counted. More than 19 million Texans are registered to vote, up 2.2% from the November 2024 presidential election.
State Rep. James Talarico, an Austin Democrat, and Attorney General Ken Paxton, a McKinney Republican, are in a tight race for a U.S. Senate seat. State Rep. Gina Hinojosa, an Austin Democrat, is challenging Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who is seeking a fourth term. Turnout data is not final and may be incomplete, since counties report at different times and mail-in ballots are still expected. Election Day is Tuesday.