Early voting in Travis County: Officials address registration glitches, turnout

AUSTIN, Texas - Early voting for the November 3 general election is officially underway, with voters lining up at a new polling location in South Austin as election officials prepare for potentially high turnout and continue addressing voter registration concerns.

What they're saying:

Travis County Clerk Dyana Limón-Mercado was at the Menchaca Library early voting location Monday morning.

"We love to see the line outside this morning," Limón-Mercado said. "That's something we typically see in a presidential election."

The county has opened 45 early voting locations, including several new sites intended to make voting more accessible.

The Menchaca Library location at 5500 Menchaca Road is one of those additions, helping close a gap between existing polling locations in South Austin.

Limón-Mercado said the county also added locations in Pflugerville and other areas where officials have seen growing voter participation.

How many voters are expected?

By the numbers:

According to the Texas Secretary of State's Office, more than 19 million Texans are registered to vote in the November election, setting a new statewide record.

In Travis County, officials say the number of registered voters is approaching one million.

But whether that translates into record turnout remains to be seen.

Limón-Mercado said Travis County has historically seen between 40% and 50% turnout in many midterm elections. In 2018, turnout reached approximately 63%.

"Voter turnout is to be determined," Limón-Mercado said. "We could see as high as the 60s."

To prepare for a possible increase in participation, the county has added voting equipment, election workers and polling locations.

"We did open more sites, more equipment was deployed, more election workers," Limón-Mercado said. "So if we do have a surge in voting, we should be equipped to handle it."

The county is also preparing to operate 201 polling locations on Election Day, November 3.

Dig deeper:

Voter registration glitches raise concerns

Early voting comes after two separate computer glitches affected voter registration processing across Texas.

FOX 7 previously reported that approximately 15,000 Texans who updated their voter information through Texas.gov, including address changes, were affected by a technical issue.

The Texas Secretary of State's Office told FOX 7 the problem had been resolved, and those voters would be able to cast their ballots.

That followed an earlier Texas Department of Public Safety computer issue that delayed thousands of new voter registration records.

Despite those assurances, Limón-Mercado said local election officials are continuing to work closely with Travis County Tax Assessor-Collector and Voter Registrar Celia Israel's office to address any outstanding registration concerns.

"We have experienced a number of different issues with the state database over the last several months, and we are continuing to work through those every day to make sure that every voter can participate in this election," Limón-Mercado said.

What if your registration isn't showing up?

Election officials are encouraging voters to check their registration status before heading to the polls.

Limón-Mercado said voters whose registration status is listed as "suspense" may still be able to cast a regular ballot after completing a statement of residence form confirming their address.

"If you find yourself on the suspense list, do not worry. We will assist you when you arrive," she said.

For voters who registered before the deadline but cannot find their names on the rolls, election workers can contact the voter registrar's office to research their registration.

In some cases, voters may need to cast a provisional ballot while officials determine their eligibility.

Limón-Mercado said her office is continuing to work with state officials to resolve outstanding issues and help eligible voters participate.

What you can do:

Early voting runs from Monday, October 19, through Friday, October 30.

Travis County voters can cast their ballots at any of the county's 45 early voting locations, regardless of where they live within the county.

According to the County Clerk's Office:

• Early voting dates: October 19–30, 2026
• Polling hours: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, including weekends
• Election Day: Tuesday, November 3
• New South Austin location: Menchaca Library, 5500 Menchaca Road
• Voter information: VoteTravis.gov

Voters are encouraged to check their registration status, review their sample ballots, look up polling locations, and current wait times before heading out.

Travis County2026 ElectionsElectionTexas Politics