More than 46K in Travis County vote on first day of early voting

46K in Travis Co. vote on first day of early voting

Around five percent of registered voters in Travis County cast their ballot on the first day of early voting Monday.

AUSTIN, Texas - Travis County voters turned out in droves Monday for the first day of early voting in the 2024 general election.

The 46,611 voters on Monday was almost 11,000 more than first-day voters in 2020. The 2020 election saw 35,784 cast a ballot on the first day of early voting in Travis County. In 2016, the number of early votes on the first day was 35,066.

"We are on track for our estimate this year of having over 600,000 voters, maybe getting in the 70% voter turnout by the end of Election Day," said Dyana Limon-Mercado, a Travis County Clerk.

The first-day voters account for around five percent of the registered voters in the county.

More people showed up at the polls on the first day this year than in the past three presidential election years.

"Percentage-wise, we're tracking with the previous year," said Limon-Mercado. "The last couple presidential elections, we've been around 6% on first day of early voting. We're seeing the same. The raw numbers is increased because of population growth."

Jaden Medina and Lauren Whiting voted early on Tuesday at the Austin Energy Headquarters.

"I will say the line was a little bit long, a little bit long," said Jaden Medina.

"It's exciting, though, that people are actually showing up, so it's good," said Lauren Whiting.

Voters need an ID when they go to the booth. You should also leave your political merchandise at home.

"People cannot wear anything political about a candidate or a measure that was formally or currently on the ballot," said Limon-Mercado.

Violators could face a Class C misdemeanor or a $500 fine.

"You can't use your phone within 100ft of the actual polling space," said Whiting.

People are allowed to bring handwritten notes.

"We need everyone's vote, you know, just to make sure we can get this country, you know, going in the right direction," said Medina.

There are 42 polling sites in Travis and Williamson Counties, which are open Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m.

Medina's advice is to get out and vote early.

"I like to get everything out of the way, you know, early as possible, because if I wait at the last minute then, shoot, you have a line all the way out outside here, and I'm like, I'm not going to stand in the sun and roast," said Medina.

Early voting goes through November 1st. Election day is on Tuesday, November 5.

Texas early voting dates and poll locations

Any registered voter may vote early in person. Early voting for the Nov. 5, 2024 election begins on Oct. 21 and ends on Nov. 1.

Visit the Am I Registered portal on the Secretary of State’s website during the early voting period. It will list the locations where you can vote early.

Early voting hours are generally 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. but may vary depending on the day of the week and the location.

Where do I vote? How to find your precinct

Your assigned polling place is based on where you live. Visit your county's election page for the polling locations and sample ballots.

You will also be able to find election day voting locations by visiting the state's webpage, which will be populated with voting sites a few days before election day. Or, you may want to contact the Election Official for State and County Elections in your county.