Early voting total hits 22 percent

Early voting in Travis County ended Friday with 144,519 ballots cast, according to the County Clerk’s Office. That is 22.15 percent of registered voters in Travis County and roughly the same percent of early votes cast in the 2010 midterm elections. The total was well below the presidential elections in 2008 and 2012. It took a final-day surge of almost 23,000 votes to reach the tally, with the usual heavy voting in West and South Austin polling stations. Some poll watchers had predicted a heavy early turnout for this election, with the new 10-1 District Austin City Council and the $1 billion transit bonds, or Proposition 1, on the ballot along with major elections in Travis County, the Austin School District, Austin Community College, state representatives and senators, and statewide officials including governor and Texas members of the U.S. House and Senate. In the final tally, the Randall’s at Research and Braker had 13,706 votes, the Ben Hur Shrine Center had 10,013 votes, the ACC Highland Campus had 9,754 votes and Randall’s at Brodie and Slaughter had 9,518 votes. Some of the polling places with the lowest vote totals were in East and Southeast Austin. It is problematic to try and link the number of votes at an early voting site to any Council districts, since Travis County allows registered early voters to cast ballots at any polling place. Polls will be open for the Tuesday General Election from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. For more information and to find your polling place, check the Travis County Elections website.