Finally, after months of campaigns and a number of debates, it’s time for Texas voters to cast their ballots in this year’s Primary Election.
Tuesday marked the start of early voting in Texas and election officials across the state expect ato see an exceptionally high number of voters.
Motivated by the highly competitive presidential primaries, a record 14.2 million people are registered to vote in the Texas primary.
In both parties, the races are still too close to call and come Super Tuesday, Texas holds the biggest prize but it’s a prize that could be won before Election Day on March 1st.
According to the Texas Secretary of State’s Office, more than half of Texas voters tend to vote early. That means that, if history repeats itself, early voters could decide the Texas primaries before Super Tuesday and before candidates make it to Texas to make their final push for votes.
Campaign signs lined the pathways to polling precincts but many early voters said they’ve already seen enough. “Yes, I know who I’m voting for,” said Marcia Houston.
She’s done all her research and now she’s done with the “circus” that is the 2016 Presidential Election. “I think that both Democrats and Republicans have already presented their case and I’ve already made up my mind,” said Houston.
She’s voted in every election since she turned 18 and over the last five decades she’s changed political parties a few times. Houston said she goes into every election with an open mind but she’s already made up her mind and there’s nothing anyone could do to sway her vote.
Fellow early voter, Victor Rivera echoed the same sense of certainty. “No, I knew for sure, no changing my mind,” Rivera said, “people pretty much know what they want.”
While the Republican candidate pool continues to shrink, the race is still too close to call. The competition continues to heat up as the candidates inch closer to Super Tuesday—when Texas is the biggest prize with 155 Republican and 252 Democratic delegates up for grabs.
This week candidates are focused on the South Carolina and Nevada primaries—then Texas.
Texas is expected to play an increasingly important role in the election, but with early voting some candidates could be a little late the party; arriving after many voters hit the polls.
U.S. Senator Ted Cruz will return to his home state at the end of next week, ahead of the Feb. 25 Republican debate at the University of Houston. Billionaire Donald Trump and U.S. Senator Marco Rubio from Florida plan to do the same and others are likely to follow.
On the other side, Hillary Clinton has a rally scheduled in Houston this weekend as she tries to drown out the noise of Bernie Sanders’ energized campaign.
“We have to have the voices heard,” Rivera said it’s the voice of the voters that matter now.
Early voting ends next Friday— the day after the republican candidates go head to head in a debate at the University of Houston.
