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MustReadTexas.com – @MustReadTexas
BY: @MattMackowiak
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FRIDAY || 10/25/24 / SATURDAY || 10/26/24
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“If something of importance is known in Texas, Matt knows it. With a decline in the number of credible news organizations, the Must Read Texas morning email is indispensable for anyone that wants to continue to be informed.” – Former U.S. Senator Phil Gramm (R-TX)
AUSTIN NEWSLETTER LAUNCHED
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TOP NEWS
“Texas turnout rate slightly down after first three days of early voting,” San Texas Tribune's Juan Salinas II — “Turnout among Texas voters is slightly down this fall compared to the record-setting 2020 presidential election, according to a Texas Tribune analysis of state data.
More than 2.8 million Texans this year have either voted in person during the first three days of early voting or have returned their ballot by mail. That’s 15.1% of all registered voters. In 2020, 15.7% of registered voters went to the polls or turned in their ballot during the same period in 2020.
Texas has more registered voters than ever: 18.6 million, an increase of about 1.7 million since 2020. Voter turnout during that election ended at about 67% — a modern-day record for the Lone Star State, known for low voter participation.
Early voting began Monday. The last day to vote early is Nov. 1. Texans must return their absentee ballot to their county in person or have their ballot postmarked by Nov. 5, Election Day.
There are caveats to early vote data. It can be incomplete — each county self-reports to the state. And Texas is offering two weeks of early voting in 2024 compared to an extended three weeks in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There was also a greater emphasis on mail-in ballots four years ago.
Just two of the state’s most populous counties — Denton and Fort Bend — have broken their turnout records during the first three days of early voting, the Tribune found. Meanwhile, Dallas, El Paso and Harris counties have seen a drop.
That should be a warning sign for the Texas Democrats, said Matthew Wilson, a political science professor at Southern Methodist University.
“If I were a Democratic adviser, that would give me some concern,” Wilson said.
Another warning sign for Democrats, who have long hoped to gain a foothold in a state dominated by Republicans, is the voting history of early voters.
More Republicans than Democrats appear to be voting early based on their voting history, said Derek Ryan, a veteran consultant and adviser to GOP campaigns. According to his tracking, 1.1 million voters who cast their ballot during the first three days of early voting have previously voted in a Republican primary. That compared to 715,180 voters who participated in a Democratic primary.
At this point in 2020, Republicans and Democrats made up about the same percentage of early vote, according to Ryan's analysis. Meanwhile, in both 2020 and 2024, about a quarter of the early vote was cast by people with no history of voting in a partisan primary election in Texas." Texas Tribune
SAEN: “As drought drags on, Edwards Aquifer nears historic lows” SAEN ($)
HOU CHRON: “Kamala Harris joins Beyonce in star-studded Houston rally” Houston Chronicle ($)
FOX 7 AUSTIN: “Donald Trump visits Austin to speak on Joe Rogan podcast” Fox 7 Austin
TX TRIB: “In final days of Senate race, Colin Allred bests Beto O'Rourke's 2018 Senate fundraising record” Texas Tribune
AP: “Democrats invest $5 million to try to defeat Republican Ted Cruz in Texas Senate race” AP
TX TRIB: “In complaint, Ted Cruz says Democrats broke campaign finance laws to help Colin Allred” Texas Tribune
SAEN: “Voter allegedly assaults election clerk at South Side polling site” SAEN ($)
AAS: “Local group sues city of Austin over new police union contract -- again” AAS ($)
NEWS FROM AROUND THE STATE
> TX TRIB: "Political divisions deepen over Texas death row inmate Robert Roberson’s innocence claim" TX TRIB
> AP: "Harris, Beyoncé team up for a Texas rally on abortion rights — hoping battleground states hear them" AP
> TX TRIB: "How a boom in East Texas high schoolers taking college classes is transforming Kilgore College" TX TRIB
> AP: "Democrats invest $5 million to try to defeat Republican Ted Cruz in Texas Senate race" AP
> DMN: "Richardson man, 80, found guilty in child sex abuse case" DMN
> TPR: "Southwest Airlines names new directors, enters agreement with management firm" TPR
> FWST: "New bridge, tech and more: Details emerge of Alliance’s $262 million ‘smart port’ project" FWST
> DMN: "Dallas school board to lawmakers: More money for teacher pay, school safety needed" DMN
> THE TEXAN: "Schumer-Backed Democratic PAC Makes $5 Million Texas Ad Buy Backing Allred" THE TEXAN
> HOU CHRON: "Hidalgo throws support behind HISD's $4.4B bond proposal after school tour" HOU CHRON
> HOU CHRON: "Judge rules in favor of Harris County's modified guaranteed income program" HOU CHRON
> VALLEY CENTRAL: "UTRGV study finds potential new link to depression" VALLEY CENTRAL
> EP TIMES: "Beyoncé to appear at Kamala Harris rally in Houston on Friday" EP TIMES
> WACO TRIB: "Souls to the polls event set for Sunday amid early voting surge" WACO TRIB
> MRT: "Odessa bans trans people from using restrooms that don’t match sex" MRT
> COMMUNITY IMPACT: "Council approves new 5-year deal with Austin Police Association" COMMUNITY IMPACT
> SA REPORT: "Four days in, Bexar County voter turnout is still off the charts" SA REPORT
> TX TRIB: "If it survives in court, Texas’ immigration law could upend immigration enforcement nationwide" TX TRIB
> TX TRIB: "Odessa bans transgender people from using restrooms that don’t match sex assigned at birth" TX TRIB
> DMN: "A timeline of the efforts to spare Robert Roberson from execution" DMN
> DMN: "Ken Paxton releases records to ‘correct falsehoods’ about Robert Roberson case" DMN
EXTRA POINTS
Recent Texas sports scores:
Thurs
> NHL: Dallas 5, Boston 2
> NBA: Dallas 120, San Antonio 109
Fri
> NBA: at Houston 128, Memphis 108
This weekend's Texas sports schedule:
Sat
> 11am: NCAAF: Tulane at North Texas (ESPN2)
> 2:30pm: NCAAF: Oklahoma State at Baylor (ESPN+)
> 2:30pm: NCAAF: Texas Tech at TCU (Fox)
> 2:30pm: NCAAF: UTSA at Tulsa (ESPN+)
> 2:30pm: NCAAF: Rice at Connecticut (CBS Sports)
> 3:15pm NCAAF: #5 Texas at #25 Vanderbilt (SEC Network)
> 6pm NCAAF: Utah at Houston (ESPN+)
> 6:30pm NCAAF: #8 LSU at #14 Texas A&M (ABC)
> 7pm NCAAF: #22 SMU at Duke (ACC Network)
> 7pm: NHL: Chicago at Dallas (ESPN+)
> 7:30pm: NBA: Houston at San Antonio
> 9pm: NBA: Dallas at Phoenix
Sun
> 12pm: NFL: Indianapolis at Houston (ESPN+)
> 7:20pm: NFL: Dallas at San Francisco (NBC)
DALLAS COWBOYS: "Do Dallas Cowboys have a pulse? Answer will be revealed vs. 49ers" DMN ($)
DALLAS MAVERICKS: "Mavericks' Dereck Lively, Daniel Gafford show out vs. Wembanyama" DMN ($)
SAN ANTONIO SPURS: "San Antonio Spurs' Jeremy Sochan enjoys flagrantly good opener" SAEN ($)
TEXAS RANGERS: "Spending Ray Davis' money: Getting the Rangers back to contention" DMN ($)
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