Elections in Texas
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| Elections in Texas |
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 Government |
From 1836 to 1845, the Republic of Texas elected its own presidents.[1] In 1845, it was admitted to the United States as the state of Texas, and has been a participant in every presidential election since, except for 1864 and 1868. Texas did not participate in these due to its secession from the United States to join the Confederate States of America on February 1, 1861, and its status as an unreconstructed state in 1868 following the American Civil War.[2]
Texas gubernatorial elections, as well as other state office races, are held every four years on the nationwide Election Day, which is the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. They are held on years that are even-numbered, but not multiples of four, also known as a midterm, so they do not coincide with the presidential elections. Texas Senate elections for half of the chamber are held every two years on Election Day, with all of the chamber up for election on cycles after major redistricting takes place. Texas House elections are held every two years on Election Day.
For about a hundred years, from after Reconstruction until the 1990s, the Democratic Party dominated Texas politics, making part of the Solid South. In a reversal of alignments, since the late 1960s, the Republican Party has grown more prominent. By the 1990s, it became the state's dominant political party and remains so to this day, as Democrats have not won a statewide race since the 1994 Lieutenant gubernatorial election. Texas is a majority Republican state with Republicans controlling every statewide office.[3] Texas Republicans have majorities in the State House and Senate, an entirely Republican Texas Supreme Court, control of both Senate seats in the US Congress. Texas is America's most-populous Republican state.[4] Many commentators had suggested that Texas is trending Democratic since 2016, however, Republicans have continued to win every statewide office, albeit by reduced margins, as it was the third-closest state Republicans won in 2020.
Texas, simultaneous to Wyoming, was the first state to elect a woman governor in 1924 with the election of Miriam A. Ferguson.[5] Conversely, Texas has never elected a person of color to be governor.[6]
In a 2020 study led by political science researcher Scot Schraufnagel, Texas was ranked as the hardest state for citizens to vote in due to strict pre-registration laws and in-person voter registration deadlines.[7] Additionally, by the 2020 election, Texas had cut down the amount of polling stations in the state, making voting less widely available.[7]
Voting system and methods
[edit]| Year | Republican / Whig | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2024 | 6,393,597 | 56.05% | 4,835,250 | 42.39% | 177,339 | 1.55% |
| 2020 | 5,890,428 | 52.00% | 5,259,215 | 46.43% | 177,231 | 1.56% |
| 2016 | 4,685,047 | 52.09% | 3,877,868 | 43.12% | 430,940 | 4.79% |
| 2012 | 4,569,843 | 57.13% | 3,308,124 | 41.35% | 121,690 | 1.52% |
| 2008 | 4,479,328 | 55.38% | 3,528,633 | 43.63% | 79,830 | 0.99% |
| 2004 | 4,526,917 | 61.09% | 2,832,704 | 38.22% | 51,144 | 0.69% |
| 2000 | 3,799,639 | 59.30% | 2,433,746 | 37.98% | 174,252 | 2.72% |
| 1996 | 2,736,167 | 48.76% | 2,459,683 | 43.83% | 415,794 | 7.41% |
| 1992 | 2,496,071 | 40.56% | 2,281,815 | 37.08% | 1,376,132 | 22.36% |
| 1988 | 3,036,829 | 55.95% | 2,352,748 | 43.35% | 37,833 | 0.70% |
| 1984 | 3,433,428 | 63.61% | 1,949,276 | 36.11% | 14,867 | 0.28% |
| 1980 | 2,510,705 | 55.28% | 1,881,147 | 41.42% | 149,785 | 3.30% |
| 1976 | 1,953,300 | 47.97% | 2,082,319 | 51.14% | 36,265 | 0.89% |
| 1972 | 2,298,896 | 66.20% | 1,154,291 | 33.24% | 19,527 | 0.56% |
| 1968 | 1,227,844 | 39.87% | 1,266,804 | 41.14% | 584,758 | 18.99% |
| 1964 | 958,566 | 36.49% | 1,663,185 | 63.32% | 5,060 | 0.19% |
| 1960 | 1,121,310 | 48.52% | 1,167,567 | 50.52% | 22,207 | 0.96% |
| 1956 | 1,080,619 | 55.26% | 859,958 | 43.98% | 14,968 | 0.77% |
| 1952 | 1,102,878 | 53.13% | 969,228 | 46.69% | 3,840 | 0.18% |
| 1948 | 303,467 | 24.29% | 824,235 | 65.97% | 121,730 | 9.74% |
| 1944 | 191,425 | 16.64% | 821,605 | 71.42% | 137,301 | 11.94% |
| 1940 | 212,692 | 18.91% | 909,974 | 80.92% | 1,865 | 0.17% |
| 1936 | 104,661 | 12.32% | 739,952 | 87.08% | 5,123 | 0.60% |
| 1932 | 97,959 | 11.35% | 760,348 | 88.06% | 5,119 | 0.59% |
| 1928 | 367,036 | 51.77% | 341,032 | 48.10% | 931 | 0.13% |
| 1924 | 130,023 | 19.78% | 484,605 | 73.70% | 42,881 | 6.52% |
| 1920 | 114,538 | 23.54% | 288,767 | 59.34% | 83,336 | 17.12% |
| 1916 | 64,999 | 17.45% | 286,514 | 76.92% | 20,948 | 5.62% |
| 1912 | 28,530 | 9.45% | 219,489 | 72.73% | 53,769 | 17.82% |
| 1908 | 65,666 | 22.35% | 217,302 | 73.97% | 10,789 | 3.67% |
| 1904 | 51,242 | 21.90% | 167,200 | 71.45% | 15,566 | 6.65% |
| 1900 | 130,641 | 30.83% | 267,432 | 63.12% | 25,633 | 6.05% |
| 1896 | 167,520 | 30.75% | 370,434 | 68.00% | 6,832 | 1.25% |
| 1892 | 81,144 | 19.22% | 239,148 | 56.65% | 101,853 | 24.13% |
| 1888 | 88,422 | 24.73% | 234,883 | 65.70% | 34,208 | 9.57% |
| 1884 | 93,141 | 28.63% | 225,309 | 69.26% | 6,855 | 2.11% |
| 1880 | 57,893 | 23.95% | 156,428 | 64.71% | 27,405 | 11.34% |
| 1876 | 44,800 | 29.96% | 104,755 | 70.04% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1872 | 47,468 | 40.71% | 66,546 | 57.07% | 2,580 | 2.21% |
| 1860 | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 62,986 | 100.00% |
| 1856 | 0 | 0.00% | 31,169 | 66.59% | 15,639 | 33.41% |
| 1852 | 4,995 | 26.93% | 13,552 | 73.07% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1848 | 4,509 | 29.71% | 10,668 | 70.29% | 0 | 0.00% |
To reduce the amount of time required to fill electoral vacancies, in special elections Texas dispenses with party primaries and instead uses a jungle primary system. Candidates of all parties (or no party) appear on the same ballot; if no single one of them receives 50 percent plus 1 vote, the two highest vote-getters also advance to a runoff irrespective of party affiliation.[9]
Texas has two uniform election dates, the first Saturday in May, and the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.[10]
As of 2024, 99.5 percent of registered voters in Texas are in jurisdictions using voting methods with some form of auditable paper ballot, an established best practice for recounts and audits.[11] Just 0.5 percent of Texas voters use electronic direct recording electronic machines (DREs) without a paper record of each vote.[12]
Voting rights in Texas | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Demographics | |
| Poll taxes | Abolished 1964 |
| Literacy tests abolished | N/A |
| Minimum voting age | 18 |
| Preregistration age | 17 and 10 months |
| Felon voting status | No, unless sentence fully discharged or pardoned |
| Voter registration | |
| Voter registration required | Yes |
| Online voter registration | No |
| Automatic voter registration | No |
| Same-day registration | No |
| Partisan affiliation | No |
| Voting process | |
| Polling place identification requirements | Yes, 7 accepted forms of photo ID:
Texas Driver License Texas Election Identification Certificate Texas Personal Identification Card Texas Handgun License United States Military Identification Card containing the person’s photograph United States Citizenship Certificate containing the person’s photograph United States Passport (book or card) |
| In-person early-voting status | 17 days prior up to 4 days before |
| Out-of-precinct voting status | In select counties approved by Secretary of State of Texas |
| Postal ballot status | Limited to those with one of 6 acceptable excuses:
65 years of age or older Sick or disabled Expecting to give birth within three weeks of Election Day Absent from the county of registration during the Early Voting period and on Election Day Civilly committed under Chapter 841 of the Texas Health and Safety Code Confined in jail, but otherwise eligible. |
| Permanent list postal ballot status | Apply yearly if disabled or 65+ |
| Ballot collection status | Household member, relative, or lawful assistant |
| Straight-ticket device status | no |
| Election method | First past the post |
| Voter powers | |
| Redistricting system | Computer generated districts voted on by state legislature |
| Prison-based redistricting | Yes |
| Ballot question rights | No |
| Recall powers | Only local offices in Home Rule cities that have included recall in their charter |
| Federal representation level | State level |
Voting rights and voter powers
[edit]Districting
[edit]Procedure
[edit]Texas uses an open primary for all partisan offices. Counties have a choice between separate or joint primaries.[13] In this system, voters may vote in either party's primary, without being affiliated with said party. Joint primaries take place at the same time and location, and voters must indicate to election staff which party primary they would like to participate in.
If there is a runoff election, voters may only participate in the runoff of the party they affiliated with in the primary. Party affiliation expires at the end of the voting year in which affiliation was established.[14]
History
[edit]Women were rejected the right to vote in Texas until 1918, when a law that allowed women to only vote in primary elections was passed in the Texas Legislature.[15] Shortly after, full suffrage was extended in 1919 when Texas Legislature ratified the 19th Amendment in the U.S. Constitution.[15]
People of color were permitted to vote in the U.S. after the 15th Amendment in 1870, but African Americans continued to be oppressed when Texas allowed the Democratic Party to prevent them from voting in primary elections with The White Primary Law.[15] After that law was overruled by the U.S. Supreme Court, Texas Democrats enacted a rule that would not allow Black people to join the Democratic Party.[15] Once again, the Supreme Court overruled this decision, and soon after, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 ultimately secured voting right protections for African Americans in Texas.[15]
Texas began to provide voting materials in Spanish for voters who were not fluent in English in 1975.[15]
Elections
[edit]General
[edit]- 2024 Texas elections
- 2023 Texas elections
- 2022 Texas elections
- 2021 Texas elections
- 2020 Texas elections
Gubernatorial
[edit]- 2022 Texas gubernatorial election
- 2018 Texas gubernatorial election
- 2014 Texas gubernatorial election
- 2010 Texas gubernatorial election
- 2006 Texas gubernatorial election
Senatorial
[edit]- 2024 United States Senate election in Texas
- 2020 United States Senate election in Texas
- 2018 United States Senate election in Texas
- 2014 United States Senate election in Texas
- 2012 United States Senate election in Texas
Ballot propositions
[edit]- 2023 Texas constitutional amendment election
- 2021 Texas constitutional amendment election
- 2007 Texas constitutional amendment election
- 2005 Texas Proposition 2
- 1972 Texas Proposition 8
See also
[edit]- United States presidential elections in Texas
- Political party strength in Texas
- Women's suffrage in Texas
Further reading
[edit]- Nina Perales; Luis Figueroa; Criselda G. Rivas (2006), Voting rights in Texas, 1982-2006 (PDF), Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, OCLC 837607742
- Nick Corasaniti; Stephanie Saul; Patricia Mazzei (September 13, 2020), "Big Voting Decisions in Florida, Wisconsin, Texas: What They Mean for November", New York Times, archived from the original on September 13, 2020,
Both parties are waging legal battles around the country over who gets to vote and how
References
[edit]- ^ Association, Texas State Historical. "The Texas Revolution and the Republic of Texas: A Brief History". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved April 24, 2025.
- ^ "Texas secedes from the Union, Feb. 1, 1861". POLITICO. February 2018. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
- ^ "GOP's Abbott wins 3rd term as Texas governor, beats O'Rourke". Associated Press. November 8, 2022.
- ^ "Texas is Entering Third Decade of Republican Control". November 23, 2022.
- ^ "Texas Politics - Governors: Miriam A. Ferguson". texaspolitics.utexas.edu. Retrieved April 24, 2025.
- ^ "Legislative Reference Library | Legislators and Leaders | Governors of Texas, 1846 - present". lrl.texas.gov. Retrieved April 24, 2025.
- ^ a b Schraufnagel, Scot; Pomante II, Michael J.; Li, Quan (December 2020). "Cost of Voting in the American States: 2020". Election Law Journal: Rules, Politics, and Policy. 19 (4): 503–509. doi:10.1089/elj.2020.0666. ISSN 1533-1296.
- ^ "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections - Presidential General Election Results Comparison - Texas". Uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
- ^ "ELECTION CODE CHAPTER 2. VOTE REQUIRED FOR ELECTION TO OFFICE". statutes.capitol.texas.gov. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
- ^ "ELECTION CODE CHAPTER 41. ELECTION DATES AND HOURS FOR VOTING". statutes.capitol.texas.gov. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
- ^ "Views on Election Integrity in 2020-22: GOP & Trump Voters". The Center for Election Innovation & Research. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
- ^ "Verifier". Verified Voting. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
- ^ "ELECTION CODE CHAPTER 172. PRIMARY ELECTIONS". statutes.capitol.texas.gov. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
- ^ "Glossary of Elections Terminology". www.sos.state.tx.us. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f "Timeline of Voting & Elections in Texas - The League of Women Voters of Texas". www.lwvtexas.org. Retrieved April 24, 2025.
External links
[edit]- Elections Division at the Texas Secretary of State official website
- Texas at Ballotpedia
- Government Documents Round Table of the American Library Association, "Texas", Voting & Elections Toolkits
- University of Texas Libraries, "Voting and Elections", Research Guides
- "League of Women Voters of Texas". (State affiliate of the U.S. League of Women Voters)
- Digital Public Library of America. Assorted materials related to Texas elections
- "State Elections Legislation Database", Ncsl.org, Washington, D.C.: National Conference of State Legislatures,
State legislation related to the administration of elections introduced in 2011 through this year, 2020