Primary Turnout Results
Final 2026 primary turnout — how it compared to 2022, by day, by county, and by who showed up.
4.35M Texans voted in the 2026 primary — the highest midterm primary turnout in state history.
Democrats led early voting by 133K votes — a first since at least 2010. Republicans cast more on Election Day (1.07M to 981K), leading in final totals. Total turnout reached 144% of the 2022 primary.
TX Secretary of State · 100% precincts reporting
Total Votes
4.3M
144% of 2022 total
Dem Total
2.2M
1.2M early + 981K Election Day
GOP Total
2.2M
1.1M early + 1.1M Election Day
Early Vote Share
53%
of total votes cast early
How the Vote Came In
Cumulative votes by party — 11 days of early voting plus Election Day.
Democrats led early voting by 133K votes (1.2M to 1.1M) — a first since at least 2010. On Election Day, Republicans cast 1.1M votes to Democrats' 981K, pulling ahead in the final count.
| Day | Date | Democrats (cumulative) | Republicans (cumulative) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | 2026-02-17 | 83,828 | 101,757 | 185,585 |
| Day 2 | 2026-02-18 | 186,665 | 197,541 | 384,206 |
| Day 3 | 2026-02-19 | 293,158 | 296,458 | 589,616 |
| Day 4 | 2026-02-20 | 425,258 | 420,762 | 846,020 |
| Day 5 | 2026-02-21 | 542,925 | 495,866 | 1,038,791 |
| Day 6 | 2026-02-22 | 600,303 | 524,276 | 1,124,579 |
| Day 7 | 2026-02-23 | 702,157 | 619,106 | 1,321,263 |
| Day 8 | 2026-02-24 | 793,682 | 712,247 | 1,505,929 |
| Day 9 | 2026-02-25 | 912,593 | 817,271 | 1,729,864 |
| Day 10 | 2026-02-26 | 1,062,021 | 937,433 | 1,999,454 |
| Day 11 | 2026-02-27 | 1,214,638 | 1,081,878 | 2,296,516 |
| Mar 3 | 2026-03-03 | 2,196,113 | 2,152,505 | 4,348,618 |
Final Primary Turnout (est.)
Democrats
2.2M
1.21M early + 981K Election Day
Republicans
2.15M
1.08M early + 1.07M Election Day
Total
4.35M
2.3M early + 2.05M Election Day
2018: 2.62M · 2022: 3.03M · 2024: 3.31M · 2026: 4.35M
Who Voted Early
Early voters made up 53% of all primary votes. Here's who they were.
Average Voter Age
Dem primary voters are 8 years younger on average
Democrats
58
Republicans
66
First-Time Primary Voters
Nearly 1 in 4 Dem voters have never voted in a primary before
Democrats
23%
Republicans
10%
Voters Under 30
24,059 Dem and 5,493 GOP voters under 30
Democrats
2%
Republicans
1%
Crossover Voters
Voters who previously participated in the other party's primary
Democrats
6%
Republicans
2%
Primary Turnout History
Total votes cast in Texas primary elections by party. 2026 estimated from 100% precincts reporting.
| Year | Democrats | Republicans |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 1,068,463 | 1,549,573 |
| 2022 | 1,075,601 | 1,954,172 |
| 2024 | 982,069 | 2,323,019 |
| 2026 | 2,196,113 | 2,152,505 |
Note: 2018 saw record Democratic primary turnout driven by the Beto O'Rourke Senate campaign. 2024 had the lowest Dem primary turnout in the cycle despite a presidential year.
Early Voting Breakdown
Dem vs. GOP early voting totals — 2.3M votes cast before Election Day (+223% vs. 2022 early voting).
In Texas, voters choose which party's primary to participate in at the polling location — no party registration required.
Dem vs. GOP Votes
2026 primary — Day 11
Democrats: 1,214,638 votes, 347% change vs 2022. Republicans: 1,081,878 votes, 146% change vs 2022.
County Turnout Surge
2026 vs. 2022 (top 5 counties)
| County | 2022 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Harris | 352,138 | 285,715 |
| Dallas | 215,698 | 183,155 |
| Tarrant | 205,650 | 169,785 |
| Bexar | 184,057 | 147,386 |
| Travis | 156,654 | 130,173 |
Day-by-Day Trend
Democrats overtook Republicans on Day 4 and led every day after. The gap widened through the final days, ending at 133K votes.
View full day-by-day chartDem Early Votes
1.2M
GOP Early Votes
1.1M
Total Turnout
12.3%
Dem Lead
+133K
County Early Vote Rankings
Counties ranked by early voting totals only. 2022 column shows full 2022 primary totals (early + Election Day) for context.
| # | County | Dem | GOP | Early Total | D/R Split | 2022 Total | EV % of 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harris | 176,952 | 108,763 | 285,715 | D+24 | 352,138 | 81% |
| 2 | Dallas | 135,635 | 47,520 | 183,155 | D+48 | 215,698 | 85% |
| 3 | Tarrant | 100,620 | 69,165 | 169,785 | D+18 | 205,650 | 83% |
| 4 | Bexar | 101,700 | 45,686 | 147,386 | D+38 | 184,057 | 80% |
| 5 | Travis | 108,310 | 21,863 | 130,173 | D+66 | 156,654 | 83% |
| 6 | Denton | 39,751 | 46,946 | 86,697 | R+8 | 95,958 | 90% |
| 7 | Fort Bend | 45,865 | 31,520 | 77,385 | D+18 | 85,590 | 90% |
| 8 | Collin | 35,705 | 36,952 | 72,657 | R+2 | 116,775 | 62% |
| 9 | Williamson | 38,740 | 33,154 | 71,894 | D+8 | 73,900 | 97% |
| 10 | Montgomery | 17,115 | 45,093 | 62,208 | R+44 | 82,555 | 75% |
| 11 | Hidalgo | 48,429 | 10,435 | 58,864 | D+64 | 52,466 | 112% |
| 12 | El Paso | 37,246 | 12,509 | 49,755 | D+50 | 55,914 | 89% |
| 13 | Brazoria | 16,225 | 19,835 | 36,060 | R+10 | 42,159 | 86% |
| 14 | Galveston | 14,935 | 19,179 | 34,114 | R+12 | 42,650 | 80% |
| 15 | Hays | 22,203 | 10,630 | 32,833 | D+36 | 28,811 | 114% |
| 16 | Cameron | 23,070 | 8,788 | 31,858 | D+44 | 30,365 | 105% |
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