SAN ANTONIO – Texas is leading the country in early voting totals so far, according to a nationwide analysis.
As of Monday, Texas recorded a total of 4,064,685 ballots cast either in-person or absentee in the 2020 general election, according to the U.S. Elections Project, which is run by University of Florida professor Michael McDonald. The number makes up 45% of the total turnout in 2016, when more than 9 million votes were cast in Texas.
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Texas' quick turnout is partially due to an extra week of early voting, approved by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott amid the coronavirus pandemic.
California makes up the second-most votes cast in the country with more than 3 million votes. In Florida, where early voting started on Monday, more than 2.5 million votes had been cast.
Texas shattered the voter registration record heading into 2020, much of it due to growth in urban areas like Bexar County, which added more than 113,000 registered voters since 2016.
Texans haven’t just been showing up to the polls, they’ve also been turning in their mail ballots in record numbers.
On Monday, Bexar County Elections Jacque Callanen said that of the 105,447 mail ballots that have been sent to voters, 62,673 ballots have been returned, accounting for a 59% return.
“That’s unheard of at the start of early voting,” Callanen said.
Others are choosing to cancel their mail ballots to vote in person.
Early voting will continue through Oct. 30. Election Day is Nov. 3.