Record Turnout Projected in Texas Early Voting

Election authorities are preparing for massive turnout when early voting begins Monday at hundreds of polling sites across Texas.

From Houston to Lubbock, officials are projecting record participation, prompting authorities to add polling stations, haul in extra equipment and add workers. The early voting period begins Monday and ends Oct. 31. Those eligible to vote by mail must request ballots by Oct. 28.

Texans who miss early voting, of course, can vote the old-fashioned way on Election Day, Nov. 4, when polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. Early voting schedules and locations vary by county.

"We anticipate a large voter turnout for the General Election. By voting early you can avoid the long lines we expect to see on Election Day," said Texas Secretary of State Hope Andrade, the chief state elections administrator.

Apart from the hot presidential race, voters will choose between Republican Sen. John Cornyn and his Democratic challenger, state Rep. Rick Noriega, in the race for the U.S. Senate. Also up for grabs is a spot on the Texas Railroad Commission, several high-court judge positions and Congressional and legislative seats across Texas.

Authorities worked over the weekend to whittle down a backlog of voter registration applications that flooded into county registration offices, said Randall Dillard, a spokesman for the secretary of state's office in Austin.

The last-minute applications prompted fears of delays and hassles for recently registered voters but Dillard said polling workers should be able to verify registration by phone. If discrepancies arise for new voters they can cast a provisional ballot that will be counted once registration is confirmed.

"There was tremendous energy this general election and a lot of people registered to vote," Dillard said. "Nobody who is registered to vote will be turned away."

Many voters like the convenience of early voting because it allows Texans to cast a ballot at any polling location in their county during the Oct. 20-31 period. On Election Day, voters must cast a ballot in their regular precincts.

Authorities are making a particularly energetic push for early voting in Galveston County, which is still reeling from the devastation of Hurricane Ike. Dillard said early voting is a good option for Galveston residents who can pick from 14 polling sites.

Anyone wishing to vote by mail must request a ballot from their home counties by Oct. 28. Those eligible to vote early include senior citizens, the disabled and those expecting to be outside their home county during early voting and Election Day.