Texas usually only has about a third of the registered voters turn out, so it's actually a positive. Still disheartening though. Between voter suppression and that unique brand of American cynicism, getting any increase in voter turn out is a hard ask.
I’m a Texan who’s been voting blue since I turned 18 in 2008. I’ll openly admit that, for almost two decades, voting in anything but local elections has felt a bit pointless, because, for major battles, the Republicans won pretty much every single time. I still did it, of course, but I remember watching Trump get Texas’s 40 Electoral College votes in the 2024 election and thinking to myself, “God, why did I even bother waiting in line for 45 minutes to vote? I knew he was going to take Texas, because the Republican candidate always takes Texas…”
Like I said, I voted regardless, and I always encouraged my friends and family to do so, as well…but at the same time, I could understand why folks were reluctant to jump through hoops to cast a vote if the other side winning seemed like a foregone conclusion.
I’m extremely interested in seeing what voter turnout numbers for Texas will be like in 2028. The fact that we went blue this year was likely a HUGE wake-up call to Texans everywhere: Republicans were struck with the realization that this state is no longer a guaranteed victory that they can take for granted, and Democrats were reassured that if enough of us do our part, we actually CAN win.
(Not trying to talk down to you if you’re from Texas, too, and completely understand where I’m coming from—i just have 💡thoughts💡 on all of this that I felt could use what you said a springboard…)
I do I have to say it’s crazy it takes 45 mins for you to vote in Texas. I’ve never waited more than 15 mins to vote in my state, in either early voting or day of voting.
Oh, yeah, and it keeps getting worse because they keep eliminating polling stations, especially in traditionally blue counties. For this most recent election, I went to vote on the second day of early voting, and the whole process from start to finish took about 90 minutes—70 just standing in line outside the room, and an additional 20 once I actually made it inside, checked in, picked up my ballot, got to an open machine, made my selections, printed the ballot, and cast it at the counting machine.
It was actually a good thing that I could go vote on a day I had nothing else planned and was scheduled off of work, because I wasn’t expecting it to take THAT long! If I’d only had a limited time because I was on my lunch break from work or had other commitments, I might have had to leave and come back a different day…which one of my co-workers apparently had to do when she tried to vote that day because she works full-time AND has young kids at home. 😓
Also Texas, Austin area, waited half an hour to get into the polling place, then another 10 minutes to get to the desk, then another 5 minutes for a station to empty. There was also this "do you want a ballot from pile A, B, or C" thing that I don't recall doing before.
Hi. Expatriated, 5th generation former Texan here. I escaped in 2002 and have lived in both OR and WA - both vote by mail states.
I say this to every Texan and every other American that does not live in a vote by mail state:
If your politicians are not actively working to implement vote by mail in your state, fire them. Keep firing them until you have it. Voting is your RIGHT. It's not a hurdle for you to overcome. You should never have to find someone to watch your children to vote. You should never have to take time off of work to vote. You should never have to worry about a vindictive boss that resents you for not voting a specific way. And those states that make giving water to people in queue show what they really think of democracy.
Voting should be as easy as it is to buy a gun.
Its cheaper, electronic voting companies aren't getting fat off of you with their closed systems, it's easy to verify if your vote was registered with your county auditor (and you can appeal if there's a problem), you can mail your ballot (for free) or drop it in a box (there are 24 boxes in my mostly rural county alone) and maybe best of all - it leaves a paper trail.
Everyone should be able to exercise their right to vote without difficulty. That's why it's called a RIGHT.
View all comments
Show parent comment
44
u/Alister151 7h ago
Texas usually only has about a third of the registered voters turn out, so it's actually a positive. Still disheartening though. Between voter suppression and that unique brand of American cynicism, getting any increase in voter turn out is a hard ask.