Good morning, 

Election day has arrived! Throughout the evening, check out our website and social media pages for updates, live analysis, and conversations as the results come in.

Here is the Texas Minute.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Tuesday, November 3, 2020
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• Texans are turning out to vote in record numbers in this year’s presidential election, despite Democrats spreading fear the Chinese coronavirus would depress turnout.
     
• Erin Anderson reports more than 9.7 million out of Texas’ 16.9 million registered voters have cast early ballots for today’s election. That represents a turnout of over 57 percent and more than the total number of votes cast in the last presidential election.
   
• The overwhelming majority – 8.7 million – voted in person, and approximately 973,000 mail-in ballots had been returned as of October 30, the last day of in-person early voting.

• Politicians promoting fear are pushing mask mandates despite data showing they correlate with increased cases, writes Matt Rinaldi in a new commentary.
   
• “The value of masks as propaganda over protection is apparent from the cultish adherence to them. Apostates have been subjected to verbal abuse and even physical attacks for not wearing masks, even when outdoors, distancing, and in no danger of spreading infection. The media scrutinize public figures’ mask usage in every situation. Masks are displayed on social media avatars to show adherence to the orthodoxy. This religious devotion to masks as a symbol has nothing to do with the spread of disease.” – Matt Rinaldi

• After a secret meeting of a faction of Republican legislators, State Rep. Dade Phelan (R–Beaumont) has formally announced his candidacy for Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives. Brandon Waltens has the details.
   
• Phelan’s candidacy has been met with serious opposition amongst conservatives over his record during his time in the legislature. JoAnn Fleming, executive director of Grassroots America – We the People, says the conservative organization does not support Phelan.
      
• “Anyone who supports Phelan for House Speaker signals to the conservative grassroots that they agree with backroom deals and have become willing accomplices in the long-range plan to hand Texas over to Democrats. Phelan support is a declaration of war on the Republican Party of Texas and its conservative grassroots army” – JoAnn Fleming

• So how, exactly, is the Speaker of the Texas House selected? 
   
• Our newest explainer video takes you through the process, and why it matters.

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