Two-round system

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.

Knoxville, Tennessee voters will consider a city charter amendment allowing city council candidates to win outright in the primary with a majority of votes, eliminating the need for a runoff. The system already applies to mayoral and municipal judge races. Currently, even two-candidate races proceed to a regular election, and three-or-more candidate fields can trigger runoffs. The City Council approved placing the measure on the ballot in August, with members Doug Lloyd and Amelia Parker dissenting. Supporters say it would cut costs and improve efficiency. If approved, the change takes effect for the August 2027 primary, affecting three at-large council seats and District 5.

Louisiana heads into Nov. 3 elections for one U.S. Senate seat and several House seats under unusual circumstances. The U.S. Supreme Court's June 29 ruling in Callais v. Louisiana, which found the state's 6th Congressional District unconstitutionally gerrymandered, forced Gov. Jeff Landry to order a new open primary even after some ballots had already been cast, confusing voters about district lines. The Senate race to succeed Bill Cassidy, between Rep. Julia Letlow and Democrat Jamie Davis, will be decided outright since a May primary already occurred; Cassidy was eliminated after being targeted by state Republicans over his impeachment vote. House races featuring incumbents are expected to avoid runoffs, but open seats in the 5th and 6th Districts likely head to a December runoff. Early voting has surged, particularly among Black voters.

Spartanburg County Council gave first-reading approval to a development agreement for Lightstone Group's 60-megawatt Jones Road data center, requiring at least $100 million in investment, 25 full-time jobs, and $9 million in community benefit payments over six years. The council, however, declined to advance agreements for the NorthMark/Valara data center on Pine Street and the AIB project in Tyger River Industrial Park, citing inadequate protections.

This followed weeks of confusion over the county's data center moratorium, initially a near-total ban, later amended to allow projects meeting size, location, noise, and landscaping requirements. NorthMark still needs a second permit to proceed, now subject to the stricter rules.

Rep. Ralph Norman said he will keep his pledge to vote for Sen. Darline Graham in the November midterms, but his family will not support her, and he will not campaign on her behalf. Norman, who lost to Graham in the August GOP primary runoff, has repeatedly criticized Trump's endorsement of her and the state GOP establishment's involvement in the race. Graham, appointed to fill the seat after the death of her brother Lindsey Graham, faces Democrat Annie Andrews in a contest that the Cook Political Report recently shifted from "Likely Republican" to "Lean Republican." Trump campaigned for Graham in South Carolina this week as the race tightens.

St. Tammany Parish voters head to the polls Nov. 3 to elect a new sheriff for the first time in over 30 years without Jack Strain or Randy Smith on the ballot, filling the remaining 18 months of Smith's term after his resignation and guilty plea to second-degree battery. Interim Sheriff Bret Ibert will retire once a successor is sworn in this January. Four candidates are running: former Louisiana State Police Superintendent Robert Hodges, retired U.S. Marshal Scott Illing, retired bomb-squad commander David Maki, and former Slidell Police interim chief Daniel Seuzeneau. Each emphasizes transparency, staff morale, and budget fixes. Without a majority winner, a runoff follows Dec. 12.

Federal prosecutors announced charges against 28 green-card holders as part of "Operation Protect the Vote," alleging they registered or voted as citizens in California; 11 were arrested. Prosecutors say defendants claimed citizenship on registration forms, in some cases voted, then denied citizenship on naturalization paperwork—felony conduct carrying up to five years, with noncitizen voting in a federal election carrying one year. All defendants are presumed innocent. The case follows separate, unrelated Los Angeles prosecutions over paid registrations and forged petitions. Separately, the Department of Justice is seeking a federal court order blocking ballots tied to more than 20,000 flagged "likely" noncitizen registrants, a figure state officials dispute, with California's attorney general questioning discrepancies in Homeland Security's broader estimates.

Twelve U.S. House seats covering the Dallas-Fort Worth area are on the Nov. 3 midterm ballot, with early voting running Oct. 19-30. Most races feature Republican incumbents—Keith Self, Pat Fallon, Lance Gooden, Jake Ellzey, Craig Goldman, Ronny Jackson, Beth Van Duyne and Roger Williams—facing Democratic challengers, plus a Libertarian in District 26. Three open seats stand out: District 30, vacated by Jasmine Crockett after her Senate run; and Districts 32 and 33, left open by Julie Johnson and Marc Veasey, respectively, after mid-decade redistricting reshaped them from Democratic-leaning to Republican-favored territory. In District 33, Colin Allred faces Patrick David Gillespie. Results are expected after 7 p.m. on Election Day.