Texas Secretary of State Robert Howden announced the state has 19 million registered voters, a record number. As of October 23, more than 2.7 million Texans had voted early, with early voting ending October 30.
Where
Statewide
When
Oct. 28, 2026
Sources
Reported by 2 outlets
Taxes and money
The sources don't state an effect on taxes. They do state these figures.
Spending supporting Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton$150 million234Who pays or receives it: Elon Musk
Coming up
Tuesday, November 3, 2026. General election in Texas (Statewide)234
Who's involved
Robert HowdenTexas Secretary of State
Greg AbbottGovernor, Republican, seeking fourth term
Gina HinojosaDemocrat, Austin state representative, candidate for governor
James TalaricoDemocratic nominee for U.S. Senate
Ken PaxtonTexas Attorney General, Republican nominee for U.S. Senate
Elon MuskEntrepreneur spending on behalf of GOP candidates
The facts
Texas has 19 million registered voters, a record number.234Stated by 3 sources
As of Oct. 23, more than 2.7 million Texans had voted early.234Stated by 3 sources
Early voting ends Oct. 30, with general election Nov. 3.234Stated by 3 sources
Greg Abbott is seeking an unprecedented fourth term as governor.234Stated by 3 sources
Gina Hinojosa sued Abbott for release of unredacted emails with Elon Musk.234Stated by 3 sources
Elon Musk has already spent $150 million supporting Ken Paxton's Senate campaign.234Stated by 3 sources
Most polls show Talarico with a slight lead, generally within margin of error.234Stated by 3 sources
Who said what
These are statements and claims made by the people involved. They are reported, not verified.
Robert Howden Texas continues to see strong voter registration numbers ahead of upcoming election.234
Greg Abbott State faces choice between common sense and crazy in governor's race.234
Gina Hinojosa Abbott using culture wars to distract from record on school vouchers, data centers, property taxes.234
Gina Hinojosa After 12 years, Texans ready for governor who puts people first, not billionaires.234
These outlets were found through Google News headlines. Google decides which outlets appear there, and they lean mostly one way, so this sheet can only be as balanced as the reporting it was built from. Leanings are AllSides Media Bias Ratings.
Glen Maxey, Texas's first openly gay legislator, helped Democrat James Talarico win his 2018 state House race by flagging unregistered voters in Talarico's Williamson County district and sending them prefilled registration forms. Talarico now faces Republican Ken Paxton in a U.S. Senate race on November 3.
Glen Maxey, Texas's first openly gay legislator; helped with Talarico's 2018 campaign; James Talarico, Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate; won 2018 House race with Maxey's help; Ken Paxton, Republican nominee for U.S. Senate and 4 more
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton held a campaign rally in Fort Worth on Saturday as part of his U.S. Senate race against Democrat James Talarico. Supporters were bused in from rural counties including Wise and Jack counties.
Ken Paxton, Republican attorney general and U.S. Senate nominee; James Talarico, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate; JD Enright, Paxton supporter who paid for bus from Runaway Bay
As Election Day approaches, Texas voters said immigration is a key issue motivating them to vote early. Some expressed concern about deportations under the Trump administration, while others cited concerns about illegal immigration.
The 2026 midterm elections will be held on Tuesday, November 3, with voters casting ballots for all 435 House seats, 35 Senate races, and governor positions in 39 states. CBS News will provide live coverage of results and analysis across multiple platforms beginning after polls close.
CBS News, broadcaster providing election coverage; Tony Dokoupil, anchor; Norah O'Donnell, anchor and 3 more
Texas voters cast a record 7.4 million early ballots in person and by mail for the 2026 midterm elections as of Friday, Oct. 30. This surpasses the 5.5 million early votes in 2022 and 4.9 million in 2018.
Texas Secretary of State's office, reported voting data
Rio Grande Valley voters are reconsidering their political allegiances ahead of the 2026 election, citing economic hardship as their primary concern. Trump won 14 of 18 border counties in 2024, but some voters who supported him then cite tariffs and rising costs as reasons to reconsider.
Jesus Robles, mechanical bull business owner in Rio Grande Valley; Vicente Gonzalez, Democratic U.S. Representative; Henry Cuellar, Democratic U.S. Representative and 5 more
Advertising spending in the Texas U.S. Senate race between Republican Ken Paxton and Democrat James Talarico has exceeded $500 million, making it the second nonpresidential race to reach that threshold. The election is scheduled for November 3, 2026.
$over $500 million for advertising spending and reservations in Texas Senate race
Ken Paxton, Republican U.S. Senate candidate, Texas attorney general since 2015; James Talarico, Democrat U.S. Senate candidate, state legislator since 2019; Elon Musk, Funder of political committees supporting Paxton and 1 more
Texas will hold a general election on November 3, 2026, with dozens of judicial races from the Texas Supreme Court to county courts and justice of the peace positions. Early voting results will be released at 7 p.m. on November 3. Property tax relief is a major issue in the midterm elections, with Gov. Greg Abbott proposing to eliminate school property taxes for homeowners and Democratic challenger Gina Hinojosa proposing to redirect corporate subsidies toward property tax relief.
Texas voters, deciding dozens of judicial races; Greg Abbott, Republican Governor, proposes to eliminate school property taxes; Gina Hinojosa, Democratic challenger, proposes redirecting corporate subsidies toward property tax relief