Did Y’all Even Vote?

by John Anderson

Looks like many Travis County residents have so far shunned their civic duty. Just 5.16% of the 735,209 registered voters have cast an early ballot in the March primary election, according to figures provided by the county clerk. From Tue., Feb. 20, to Mon., Feb. 26, the first week of early voting, roughly 38,000 people showed at the polls or sent in a mail ballot. (The Ran­dalls at Research & Braker was the most popular spot to do the deed.) Republican Primary voters made up 1.4% (about 10,300) while Democrats comprised 3.8% (less than 28,000), a predictably higher chunk of Travis County voters. There's still time to get those numbers up: Early voting runs through Fri., March 2, and election day is March 6 – so get out there!

On an overall brighter note, Democratic early voting statewide has surged, causing Republicans to worry. In the first six days of early voting, around 11,000 more Texans voted in the Dem primary than the GOP in the state's 15 largest counties. On Monday, Gov. Greg Abbott sent an email to supporters cautioning that "if these trends continue, we could be in real trouble come Election Day." Keep 'em worrying.