More than 326,000 Denton County voters cast ballots before Election Day, nearly matching presidential-election levels of participation as voters increasingly choose to skip the Tuesday lines.
Nearly 47% of the county’s registered voters participated in early voting for the 2026 midterm election. Early ballots increased approximately 46% compared with 2022, outpacing the roughly 15% growth in voter registration.
“We are at record levels of turnout for the midterm,” said David Rettig, victory chair of the Denton County Republican Party.
The early voting figures suggest that increased participation reflects both population growth and a shift in when residents vote. Approximately half of those who voted on Election Day in 2022 have already cast ballots this year.
Among 2022 voters who still live in Denton County, approximately 77% have voted this year, along with about 80% of voters with a history of primary participation.
Both major political parties have encouraged supporters to vote early, allowing campaigns to focus their remaining efforts on voters who have yet to cast ballots.
Historical primary voting records show a larger Republican voting pool in Denton County, but voters with Democratic primary histories have participated at higher rates during early voting. Republicans have nearly twice as many remaining historical primary voters who have not cast ballots.
Primary voting history does not establish how someone voted in the general election.
The turnout surge comes as Republican Ken Paxton and Democrat James Talarico battle for a U.S. Senate seat. A new Quantus poll reported support of 48.7% for Paxton and 47.6% for Talarico, with 2.2% undecided.
Early voting ended on Friday. Election Day is this Tuesday, Nov. 3 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. For Denton County polling locations, sample ballots and other local election information, visit VoteDenton.gov.
Rettig said he expects Denton County to remain firmly Republican despite some competitive races.
“Denton County is a reliably Republican county and will continue to elect Republicans in this cycle,” he said. “While there are a couple competitive seats, the vast majority of Republican candidates will easily win reelection.”
He also predicted the county would finish among the state’s turnout leaders.
“I have no doubt that when the counting has ended on Tuesday, Denton County will be among the leading counties in Texas on turnout, and contribute to Republican victories up and down the ballot.”
