Secretary of State of Texas

Texans head to the polls Tuesday, November 3, to decide the governor's race, a U.S. Senate seat, several congressional districts and local Bexar County offices. The marquee contests pit Gov. Greg Abbott against state Rep. Gina Hinojosa, and Attorney General Ken Paxton against state Rep. James Talarico for Senate. Local races include Bexar County Judge, where former San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg faces Patrick Von Dohlen, and a competitive Bexar County District Attorney contest with a Republican, Democrat and independent candidate. Congressional races in Texas' 15th, 23rd, 34th and 35th districts, plus a Texas House seat, are also on the ballot, with results updating as polls close.

More than 6.4 million Texans cast ballots during early voting, surpassing the state's previous non-presidential-year record of 5.5 million set in 2018. The figures exclude mail-in ballots. Analysts point to the closely watched Senate race between Republican Ken Paxton and Democrat James Talarico, now the most expensive Senate contest in history with over $560 million in combined ad spending, as the main driver of turnout. The governor's race between Greg Abbott and Gina Hinojosa, plus growth in suburban counties like Collin County, also contributed. Some experts project total turnout could reach 10 million votes, which would break the state's all-time midterm record.

Election Day voting runs Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Travis County election officials received 1,100 additional voter registration records from the Texas Secretary of State's office, part of a broader processing issue affecting roughly 15,000 records statewide. The Secretary of State's office said a technical issue delayed updates submitted through the state's Texas.gov name-and-address change system, but the problem was identified and resolved, with counties now receiving the records ahead of early voting. Officials stressed the affected records involve existing registrations, so impacted voters can still cast ballots. The backlog follows Travis County's recent processing of 32,000 records from the Texas Department of Public Safety, with thousands of paper applications still under review. The state reported a record 19 million registered Texas voters for this election.

Ann Arbor's city clerk's office has outlined early voting plans for the Nov. 3 election. Early voting begins Wednesday, Oct. 21, at two University of Michigan campus sites (the Museum of Art and Duderstadt Center) and expands Saturday, Oct. 24, to four branch libraries—Malletts Creek, Traverwood and Westgate—plus city hall. Early voting runs daily through Sunday, Nov. 1, with voting hours of 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the library and campus sites, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at city hall.

Voters can register and check status online via the Michigan Voter Information Center, or register in person with proof of residency after Oct. 20. The clerk's office will extend hours in the final days before the election, and satellite registration is available at the UM voting sites. Standard polling locations are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day. Absentee ballots must reach the clerk's office by 8 p.m. on Election Day; the Veterans Memorial Park drop box has relocated to Fire Station 3.

Statewide, Michigan law bars release of early or absentee totals before 8 p.m. on Election Day, and bipartisan verification steps mean full results typically take time to post. Ann Arbor voters will decide local, state and federal races, plus ballot proposals.

Harris County, Texas officials say they have finished processing a backlog of nearly 75,000 voter registration records tied to a state-level error. The Texas Department of Public Safety said some records submitted online had been incomplete and not fully transmitted to the Secretary of State's office; officials said that system issue has since been fixed.

A team of more than 50 staffers in the Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector and Voter Registrar's office manually reviewed the records, including an additional check of 11,000 applications to verify details like precinct placement. New registration applications were forwarded to the Secretary of State for standard verification, meaning some voters may not see immediate status changes. Hundreds of records still require further review. Officials stressed voters who registered by the October 5 deadline do not need to worry, and encouraged residents to confirm their status online or by phone. Early voting in Texas begins October 19.

Texas voters head to the polls Nov. 3, 2026 for a general election featuring statewide races for U.S. Senate, governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, comptroller, land commissioner, agriculture commissioner and railroad commissioner, plus seats on the Texas Supreme Court and Court of Criminal Appeals. Congressional, state legislative, judicial and local races will also appear depending on a voter's location. Key deadlines include an Oct. 5 voter registration cutoff and an Oct. 23 deadline to apply for a mail ballot. In-person voters need an acceptable photo ID, though those without one may sign a Reasonable Impediment Declaration and provide alternate documentation.

Elsewhere, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, election officials are holding public demonstrations of voting equipment, mail-ballot sorting and drop-box security as part of a "Know Before You Vote" campaign ahead of the same Nov. 3 election, which also includes governor and U.S. Senate races along with local levies and charter amendments. Officials are urging voters nationwide to review sample ballots in advance. Early voting in Harris County runs Oct. 19 through Oct. 30, with Election Day polls open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voters should check VoteTexas.gov or local county election sites for details.

Texans must register to vote by Monday, Oct. 5, to be eligible for the Nov. 3 general election, according to the Texas secretary of state's office. Voters can check their registration status through the state's "Am I Registered?" page in the My Voter Portal, which is especially important for anyone who has recently moved or changed their name.

Applications can be started online at votetexas.gov, but must be printed, signed and mailed to the appropriate county office, or delivered in person; starting an application online alone does not complete registration. Mailed applications must be postmarked by Oct. 5, and the secretary of state's office recommends requesting a manual postmark at a USPS retail counter for last-minute submissions, since drop-off mail isn't always postmarked the same day. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, county residents and at least 18 by Election Day, though 17-year-olds turning 18 before the election may also apply. Early voting runs Oct. 19-30.

ICE agent Christian Castro was released Thursday from a Cameron County, Texas jail, hours after a federal judge rejected Minnesota's bid to compel Gov. Greg Abbott to sign an extradition warrant and keep Castro detained past Texas's 90-day limit. U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr., a Trump appointee, ruled the case was not yet "ripe" because Abbott had not denied the extradition request, only ordered an investigation into whether Castro qualifies as a "fugitive." Sheriff Manuel Trevino said Texas law required Castro's release once the 90-day window lapsed. His whereabouts afterward were unknown, and it was unclear if he has legal representation.

Castro faces assault and false-reporting charges in Minnesota after shooting Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis during a January 14 Minneapolis ICE operation. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, calling Texas a "sanctuary state for violent criminals," cited jailhouse calls about fleeing to Mexico and vowed to keep fighting. Abbott's office said the ruling affirmed his authority to review extradition requests before acting.