Published: 02-28-08
AUSTIN TX -- Texas Secretary of State Phil Wilson announced Wednesday that turnout for the March 4 primary election will likely reach a record number for Texas. Based on turnout in early voting Secretary Wilson projects an overall turnout of 26 of the registered voters in Texas.
“The number of voters participating in the Texas primaries is greater than anything we have seen before” Wilson said. “If the voting trends continue through Election Day Texas will set a record for turnout in a primary election with 3.3 million Texans casting a ballot.”
The previous record in Texas was set in the 1988 Presidential Primary election with more than 2.7 million Texans turning out to vote. As of Tuesday more than 680000 Texans had already voted in early voting more than doubling the turnout seen in 2004. Due to the high turnout expected Secretary Wilson is encouraging Texans to take advantage of the last two days of early voting.
“It is exciting to see people of both parties energized about participating in the democratic process in our state” Wilson added. “And because of the high turnout I would encourage Texans to take advantage of the convenience of early voting and avoid the lines that may be encountered on Election Day.”
Secretary of State Wilson examined a variety of factors when projecting this year’s turnout including prior levels of voter turnout voter registration numbers and early voting trends to date. Throughout early voting the Secretary of State’s office tracks turnout from the state’s 15 most populous counties1. These 15 counties account for approximately 60 percent of all registered voters in Texas and therefore can serve as an indicator of overall turnout patterns across the state.
Early voting concludes Friday February 29 and Election Day is Tuesday March 4.
