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National political leaders barnstormed through the Lone Star State this weekend to help Texans from both political parties make their final plea to voters on the eve of the midterm elections.
First lady Jill Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, Democrats, joined campaigns in Harris County while House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California and national party chair Ronna McDaniel rallied Republican supporters in South Texas.
The first lady stopped in Houston churches to push Texans to vote. Biden appeared alongside two Texas Democrats facing reelection, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Houston.
“So much is at stake in this election. And with the polls closing in just two days, all of us need to make our voices heard,” Biden said Sunday at the Good Hope Missionary Baptist Church, where the pews were filled. “We must speak up on justice and democracy.”
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Just over a third of Texas’ registered voters turned out early this year, falling short of 2018 numbers
The high turnout seen in 2018 may have been an anomaly rather than the start of a long-term trend.
Political observers had anticipated the state’s competitive governor’s race to drive turnout similar to high-watermark elections in 2018 and 2020. However, so far, turnout has been slower, making this weekend’s push to engage voters more salient.
Thirty-one percent of registered voters had voted by Friday, the last day of early voting, according to the secretary of state’s website. More people vote early than on Election Day — a trend that has been consistent at least since the 2008 presidential election.
Incumbent Gov. Greg Abbott started his final push to energize supporters in Lubbock on Saturday.
“We have got to get more people in the polls. Lubbock is Republican territory, and … there are many people who have not yet voted,” Abbott said at a Lubbock barbecue restaurant before knocking on a few doors, according to the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. It was his second campaign visit to West Texas in the past two weeks.
His Democratic challenger, former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke, spent Saturday evening block walking in Houston.
“I think this is going to be really close. It could be decided by a matter of votes, it could be decided by the votes of those doors that you’ll be knocking on,” O’Rourke said to campaign volunteers in Houston.
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Republicans may be waiting to vote on Election Day after former President Donald Trump pushed voting in person on Nov. 8 at a rally in South Texas.
Abbott, a Republican who is seeking his third four-year term as governor, has promised voters he’ll continue pushing a conservative agenda focused on jobs and border security. O’Rourke has criticized Abbott’s handling of the 2021 winter storm, mass shootings and support for a ban on abortion, including in cases of rape and incest.
High-profile Democrats rally for down-ticket races
The vice president also threw her support behind Hidalgo. Harris called in to a virtual phone bank for the Harris County leader on Friday evening. She recalled her interactions with Hidalgo during the 2021 power-grid failure and said Hidalgo has been an “extraordinary leader during immense crisis.”
Voting FAQ: 2024 Elections
When is the next election? What dates do I need to know?
Election Day for the general election is November 5, and early voting will run from Oct. 21 to Nov. 1. The deadline to register to vote and/or change your voter registration address is Oct. 7. Applications to vote by mail must be received by your county of residence – not postmarked – by Oct. 25.
What’s on the ballot for the general election?
In addition to the president, eligible Texans have the opportunity to cast their ballots for many Texas officials running for office at the federal, state and local levels.
This includes representatives in the U.S. and Texas houses and the following elected offices:
-1 U.S Senator (Ted Cruz)
– 1 of 3 Railroad Commissioners
– 15 State Senators
– 7 State Board of Education members
– 3 members of the Texas Supreme Court
– 3 members of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
– 5 Chief Justices and various justices for Texas Courts of Appeals
Lower-level judges and local county offices will also appear on the ballot:
– Various district judges, including on criminal and family courts
– County Courts at Law
– Justices of the Peace
– District Attorneys
– County Attorneys
– Sheriffs
– Constables
– Tax Assessor-Collectors
How do I make sure I’m registered to vote?
You can check to see if you’re registered and verify your information through the Texas Secretary of State’s website. You’ll need one of the following three combinations to log in: Your Texas driver’s license number and date of birth. Your first and last names, date of birth and county you reside in. Your date of birth and Voter Unique Identifier, which appears on your voter registration certificate.
What if I missed the voter registration deadline?
You must be registered to vote in a Texas county by Oct. 7 to vote in the Nov. 5 presidential election. You can still register for other elections.
If you’re registered but didn’t update your address by the deadline, you may still be able to vote at your previous voting location or on a limited ballot. (Voters are typically assigned precincts based on where they live. In most major counties, voters can vote anywhere on Election Day, but some counties require you vote within your precinct. If that is the case, you may have to return to your previous precinct. See which counties allow countywide Election Day voting here. You can usually find your precinct listed on your voter registration certificate or on when checking your registration online.)
If you moved from one county to another, you may be able to vote on a ballot limited to the elections you would qualify to vote in at both locations, such as statewide races. However, limited ballots are only available during early voting. Find your county election official here and contact them to ask about or request a limited ballot.
What can I do if I have questions about voting?
You can contact your county elections official or call the Texas Secretary of State’s helpline at 1-800-252-VOTE (8683). A coalition of voting rights groups is also helping voters navigate election concerns through the 866-OUR-VOTE (687-8683) voter-protection helpline. The coalition also has hotlines available for voters who speaker other languages or have accessibility needs.
For help in Spanish, call 888-VE-Y-VOTA or 888-839-8682.
For help in Asian languages, call 888-API-VOTE or 888-274-8683.
For help in Arabic, call 888-YALLA-US or 888-925-5287.
For help in American Sign Language through a video, call 301-818-VOTE or 301-818-8683.
For help from Disability Rights Texas, call 888-796-VOTE or 888-796-8683.
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“You have proven yourself during some of the most difficult times for Harris County,” the vice president told Hidalgo before urging volunteers to redouble their efforts for the final weekend before the election. “She has been an extraordinary leader, but we can’t take her for granted.”
Four years after unexpectedly ousting a well-liked Republican, Hidalgo is facing a tough reelection battle against a well-funded Republican opponent, Alexandra del Moral Mealer.
While Harris did not mention Mealer, she did paint a contrast with Republicans, who she suggested are trying to divide people and want to unwind the progress of the Biden administration. She warned they would repeal the Inflation Reduction Act and pass a national abortion ban, touching on an issue — abortion rights — that Hidalgo has made central to her campaign.
Mealer has focused most of her campaign on the county’s high number of homicides and the criminal indictment of three Hidalgo staffers.
National GOP leaders focus on South Texas congressional races
In South Texas, GOP heavyweights McCarthy, McDaniel and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich rallied voters Sunday evening. They appeared alongside Congresswoman Mayra Flores and candidates Monica De La Cruz and Cassy Garcia in an effort to secure a Republican majority in the House. The news media was not allowed inside the event.
Republicans are calling Flores, De La Cruz and Garcia a triple threat. GOP leaders are increasingly bullish on a sweep of all three seats.
In 2020, De La Cruz came within 3 percentage points of unseating Democratic Congressman Vicente Gonzalez in Congressional District 15, a heavily Hispanic border district that includes McAllen. This year, De La Cruz is running for the same seat after Gonzalez was drawn out of the district and moved over to neighboring District 34. Flores is the incumbent congresswoman after winning a special election this year to replace Democrat Filemon Vela, who had resigned before the end of his term. And Garcia, a former staffer for U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, is facing off in Laredo-based District 28 against longtime Democrat incumbent Henry Cuellar.
The Republican campaign stop in South Texas won’t go unchecked. Former president Bill Clinton is expected to stump in South Texas on Monday to support Cuellar and Democratic House candidate Michelle Vallejo, De La Cruz’s challenger.
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