Texans breaking turnout records; last chance to vote early is Friday
Friday is the last day voters may cast ballots early for Tuesday’s presidential primary election.
Through Wednesday, 667,917 Texans — including 55,367 Republicans and 27,420 Democrats in Tarrant County — cast early votes, according to the most recent tallies from the state’s 15 largest counties.
Overall turnout is already higher statewide than it was in 2008’s fiery primary when Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton went head to head. About 46,000 more Texans cast ballots statewide through the ninth day of early voting this year than they did eight years ago.
More turnout records could be broken by the time the polls close Friday.
“Usually, the last three days of early voting climb,” said Frank Phillips, Tarrant County’s elections administrator. “That’s because people realize that if they are going to vote early, they need to do it now.”
Texas, a large state that generally has a small voice in the battle for the White House, is poised to make an impact in this year’s presidential race.
But it’s not just about the presidential battle.
Tarrant County voters also will weigh in on a slew of elections stretching from Congress to the Texas Legislature to the local courthouse, not to mention picking leaders for both the Tarrant County Republican and Democratic parties.
Election officials continue to remind voters they take a valid government-issued photo ID with them to the polls, to comply with the state’s voter ID law.
And they say voter turnout may have its busiest day Friday.
“If you’re going to vote Friday, and you’re going to hit the polls late Friday, you might have to wait,” Phillips said. “Part of the typical pattern is there will be a surge of people who think at the last minute that they need to vote and they’ll head to the polls at 6 p.m. Friday.”
Polls close at 7 p.m. but anyone already in line by then will still get to vote.
For sample ballots, visit www.tarrantcounty.com/evote.
For more information, call the Tarrant County Elections Center at 817-831-8683.
Anna Tinsley: 817-390-7610, @annatinsley
Voters Guide
To learn more about candidates on the March 1 ballot, check out the online Star-Telegram Voters Guide.
EARLY VOTING SITES
Early voting for the March 1 general election runs through 7 p.m. Friday.
Locations
Tarrant County Elections Center, 2700 Premier St., Fort Worth. This is the main early voting site. Emergency and limited ballots are available there.
All Saints Catholic Church Parish Hall, 200 NW 20th St.
Arlington Subcourthouse, 700 E. Abram St.
Asia Times Square, 2615 W. Pioneer Parkway, Grand Prairie
Bedford Public Library, 2424 Forest Ridge Drive
Benbrook Community Center, 228 San Angelo Ave.
B.J. Clark Annex, Room 4, 603 Southeast Parkway, Azle
Bob Duncan Center, 2800 S. Center St., Arlington
Center for Community Service Junior League of Arlington, 4002 W. Pioneer Parkway, Arlington
Colleyville City Hall, 100 Main St.
Crowley Community Center, 900 E. Glendale St.
Dan Echols Center, 6801 Glenview Drive, North Richland Hills
Diamond Hill/Jarvis Branch Library, 1300 NE 35th St., Fort Worth
Eagle Mountain-Saginaw school district Administration Building 6, Training Room, 1200 Old Decatur Road, Saginaw
Euless Public Library, 201 N. Ector Drive
Elzie Odom Athletic Center, 1601 NE Green Oaks Blvd., Arlington
Forest Hill Civic and Convention Center, 6901 Wichita St., Forest Hill
The REC of Grapevine, 1175 Municipal Way
Griffin Subcourthouse, 3212 Miller Ave., Fort Worth
Haltom City Northeast Center, 3201 Friendly Lane
Handley/Meadowbrook Community Center, 6201 Beaty St., Fort Worth
Hurst Recreation Center, 700 Mary Drive
James Avenue Service Center, 5001 James Ave.
JPS Health Center Viola M. Pitts/Como, Lower Level, Suite 100, 4701 Bryant Irvin Road N.
Keller Town Hall, 1100 Bear Creek Parkway
Kennedale Community Center, 316 W. Third St.
Lake Park Operations Center, 5610 Lake Ridge Parkway, Grand Prairie
Mansfield Subcourthouse, 1100 E. Broad St.
Northeast Courthouse, Bear Creek Community Room, 645 Grapevine Highway, Hurst
Sheriff's Office North Patrol Division, 6651 Lake Worth Blvd., Lake Worth
Southlake Town Hall, 1400 Main St.
South Service Center, 1100 SW Green Oaks Blvd., Arlington
Southside Community Center, 959 E. Rosedale St., Fort Worth
Southwest Community Center, 6300 Welch Ave.
Southwest Subcourthouse, 6551 Granbury Road, Fort Worth
Summerglen Branch Library, 4205 Basswood Blvd.
Tarrant County College Southeast Campus, EMB-C Portable Building, 2100 Southeast Parkway, Arlington
Tarrant County Plaza Building, 201 Burnett St.
Villages of Woodland Springs Amenity Center, 12209 Timberland Blvd., Fort Worth
White Settlement Public Library, 8215 White Settlement Road
Worth Heights Community Center, 3551 New York Ave., Fort Worth
Source: Tarrant County Elections Office
This story was originally published February 25, 2016 at 5:03 PM with the headline "Texans breaking turnout records; last chance to vote early is Friday."