With the Nov. 5 general election only days away, officials in Southeast Texas report seeing a large voter turnout during the early-voting period in; still, it would take a late surge to surpass the record 2020 numbers, according to the Secretary of State’s Office.
In the 2020 general election, 137,428 people, or 56% of registered voters cast early ballots in Jefferson, Orange and Hardin counties. Jefferson reported 56%, or 84,167 early voters; Orange had 56%, or 30,494 early voters; and Hardin finished with 57%, or 22,767 early voters.
The early voting numbers through Oct. 29, including mail-in, limited and provisional ballots, from the three counties show that more than 100,000 ballots have been cast in the first nine days of early voting.
In Jefferson County, 58,323 people, or 39% of registered voters, cast early ballots. More than 7,000 voted over the weekend. The county has 147,718 registered voters.
Election officials in Orange County reported 23,571, or 36% of the 56,303 registered voters, had cast ballots. More than 3,600 voted during the weekend hours.
Hardin County has the highest percentage of early voting with 42%, or 17,846 of it 43,127 registered voters.
Early voting ends Friday, Nov. 5.