Friday, Feb. 27 marked the end of early voting for midterm primaries across Texas. Despite typically being considered one of the least-participated in portions of the voting cycle, Collin County has seen record turnout.
For the past four years, March primaries have had consistent turnout rates: in 2022, 61,414 early voting ballots were cast, while 77,031 were cast in 2024. This year’s preliminary results mark almost double these prior figures, with 132,310 early voting ballots recorded as of Feb. 27 — a 72% climb from two years ago.
A few factors could have caused this massive wave. Population and consequentially voter registration has increased within the county. The past four years have seen a 12% rise in voter registration, from 671,662 to 752,502. While significant, the rate is far surpassed by this year’s voting outcomes.
For leaders of Collin County’s Democratic Party such as county chair Jeremy Sutka, the answer lies more in party breakdown. While past March primaries have historically been deeply Republican, such as the 2024 election’s 74% Republican ballot count, this race has proven far closer. This year, only 52% of ballots were cast in the Republican primary as opposed to the Democratic or provisional counts.
“We are seeing a much larger number than normal of voters that previously voted in the Republican primary that are voting in the Democratic primary,” Sutka said. “For the first time in Texas history, every single spot on the Democratic ballot for Congress, U.S. Senate, Texas Senate, Texas House, and State Board of Education has a Democratic candidate, and many of these races have competitive primaries, led by Jasmine Crockett vs. James Talarico at the top.”
The trend of unprecedented Democratic primary turnout has continued throughout Texas, with the Texas Tribune documenting a running tally on Monday, Feb. 23 that had Democrats ahead of Republicans by more than 70,000 ballots.
Still, the broad majority of Texans and registered voters alike have not voted. The total early voting ballots cast in Collin County represent only 18% of registered voters, who in turn proportionally represent only 56% of the county’s population. College students, such as those at UTD, could change the outcome of the race, Sutka said.
“The biggest demographic group of non-voters is the youth vote, and they can decide any race on the ballot just by showing up,” Sutka said. “Whether you are a student or faculty member, the GOP is attacking the very existence of higher education. You can not sit back and wait for someone else to fix it, you must be proactive and get involved and make sure everyone on campus votes this fall.”
According to the Collin County Republican Party, individuals can vote at any polling center in the county because of prior state approval. The last day to vote in the March primaries is Tuesday, March 3.
“The voters have choices and a reason to come out and vote,” Sutka said.
This is part of an ongoing series investigating the 2026 elections in Texas. The Retrograde will publish additional coverage once more information becomes available.