Burnt Orange Report

Voter Turnout

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

Turnout appears that it will tick up this election cycle, with the Secretary of State projecting 16% statewide. The big question I have is if the boost in early returns that we've seen is going to mean a boost in Election Day turnout as well, or if it's part of a continuing shift of voters voting early rather than on E-Day.

Longview News Journal: – Gregg County – 5,719 residents cast a ballot during the early voting. That's 2,144 more than in the 2003 election during the early voting period. Two years ago at the end of early voting, 3,575 people had cast a vote. The total count for that election was 9,551 votes.

– Harrison County – 2,370 people cast a vote from Oct. 24 to Friday and 80 more people are expected to mail in ballots, increasing the number to 2,450. In 2003, the county had 1,615 residents cast a ballot during early voting, and a total of 4,539 people voted in that amendment election.

– Rusk County – 1,778 residents cast a ballot during early voting, and the county expects to receive about 50 more mail-in ballots, bringing this year's early voting total to about 1,828. This year's early voting total is twice as high as it was two years ago, when 958 residents cast a ballot. The final total for the 2003 election was 3,750.

Wichita: As opposed to previous constitutional amendment elections, this particular one is seeing good turnout, according to Lori Bohannon, county clerk. She said, as of Thursday, 4,508 registered voters cast an early ballot by mail or at various countywide polling places.

Compared to the voter turnout for the 2003 constitutional election that total looks rather optimistic. Only 9,427 voters cast ballots out of approximately 60,000 registered voters in that election, Bohannon said in a previous election.

Actually, all this turnout isn't for Prop 2 at all. It's for the "Champions of the Republic" plaque that Secretary of State Roger Williams is giving as a prize to high turnout counties. But this quote about Waco turnout is the one that I think speaks truth to all of the talk about turnout. The question is who is turning out, and when? Is it a boost in voters (for sure in many areas) or a shift in voters casting early votes?

Waco: The higher turnout – 4,094 to 3,300 – comes as residents consider a proposed ban on gay marriage and eight lower profile changes to the Texas constitution.

The heavier traffic, based in part on extra days of early voting, is not a clear indication that more people will cast ballots by the end of election day on Tuesday, McLennan County elections administrator Kathy Van Wolfe said.

Based on the 2004 presidential election and other recent elections, Van Wolfe said, "We're seeing the same amount of people show up, but it's a trend to get started earlier."

More turnout numbers in the extended entry.

Tyler: Gauging from the turnout so far, early voting numbers could break previous records, she said.

"So far, the vote totals are well above the constitutional election in 2003," she said. "It will probably at least come close to an early voting record for this kind of election."

In 2003, 2,976 early votes were cast. With two of the heaviest days remaining in this early voting cycle, Mrs. Patterson reports that 2,957 have been cast.

Also, the number of requests for ballots by mail was up; in 2003, 85 ballots were sent out. This year, that number rose to 212.

Denton County: Based on early voter turnout, officials estimate 50,000 Denton County residents will show up to cast their ballots through election day, said Denton County Elections Administrator Don Alexander...

By comparison, only 21,959 votes were recorded during the 2003 election, which included 22 proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution. In 2001, only 8,489 votes on 19 proposed amendments were recorded.

Austin Area: In Travis County, 8.3 percent of registered voters had cast a ballot by the end of the day Thursday, compared with 4 percent in all of the state's 15 most populous counties, according to the most recent data available from the secretary of state's office. That figure is indicative of statewide trends because 60 percent of the state's residents live in those counties, officials said.

In Williamson County, 7.4 percent of registered voters had cast a ballot by the end of the day Thursday, and in Hays County, 5.1 percent of registered voters had done so.

Fredericksburg: As of 4 p.m. yesterday, Tuesday, 1,272 in-person and mail ballots had been tabulated by County Clerk Mary Lynn Rusche’s staff since early voting got underway Oct. 24... By the time early balloting wraps up at 4 p.m. Friday, the 2005 vote count is expected to easily exceed the total 1,339 early ballots cast in the 2003 state constitutional amendment election.