2026 Texas Primary Turnout
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 983K), leading in final totals. Total turnout reached 144% of the 2022 primary.
TX Secretary of State · 100% precincts reporting
Total Votes
4.4M
144% of 2022 total
Dem Total
2.2M
1.2M early + 983K 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' 983K, 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 | 2,197,897 | 2,153,350 | 4,351,247 |
Final Primary Turnout (est.)
Democrats
2.2M
1.21M early + 983K 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 | 2,197,897 | 2,153,350 |
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 pages: explore the 20 largest counties →
| # | 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% |
Stay in the loop
Texas election coverage, straight to your inbox. No spam.