Tag Archives: turnout

We still could have done better on turnout

Posted on March 24, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

That’s always how it is, isn’t it? Despite holding the most expensive and closely-watched U.S. Senate election in the nation last year, Texas still ranked among the ten worst states for voter turnout in 2018, according to a new report … Continue reading →

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Precinct analysis: 2018 State Senate

Posted on March 18, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

The day I look forward to since November has finally arrived – all the data from the last election is now available on the Texas Legislative Council webpage. You know what that means: It’s statewide precinct analysis time! Let’s start … Continue reading →

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Letting 17-year-olds vote

Posted on March 17, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Sort of. Hoping to fuel the next crop of young voters, state lawmakers filed bills that would allow 17-year-olds to vote in some primary elections if they are going to turn 18 before the general election. The 17-year-olds would only … Continue reading →

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Today is Runoff Day in HD125

Posted on March 12, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s not eff this up, shall we? The day after Ray Lopez advanced to the special election runoff for House District 125 last month, he called his three former Democratic opponents and asked for their support against Republican Fred Rangel. … Continue reading →

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Final EV totals in HD145

Posted on March 3, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

A bit less than Round One so far. Early voting in the House District 145 special election runoff ended Friday with a spike in turnout, though only a small fraction of registered voters have cast ballots so far in the … Continue reading →

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Today is the last day to vote early in HD145

Posted on March 1, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Not many people have so far. I expect today will pick up as it usually does – better weather will help – but it’s been a quiet affair so far. Here’s where you need to go to vote, in case … Continue reading →

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HD145 runoff early voting: More mail ballots

Posted on February 27, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

We are now two days into the early voting period for the HD145 special election runoff. Here’s your Day 2 EV report. Four hundred and seventy-four votes have been cast so far, which is more than the first four days … Continue reading →

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Early voting begins tomorrow for the HD145 runoff

Posted on February 24, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Early Voting for the March 5, 2019 Special Runoff Election For State Representative District 145 begins Monday, February 25 and ends Friday, March 1.  During the five day Early Voting period, five locations will be available to … Continue reading →

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On special election runoff turnout and HD125

Posted on February 19, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

I figured a story like this was inevitable after Round One of the HD125 special election, in which Republican Fred Rangel got 38% of the vote and four Democrats combined to take the rest, with three of them being close … Continue reading →

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On to the runoff in HD125

Posted on February 13, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

We could still have a recount, given how close the race for second place was. A Republican and a Democrat are moving on to a runoff in the race to replace ex-state Rep. Justin Rodriguez, D-San Antonio, in a traditionally … Continue reading →

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Early voting ends in HD125

Posted on February 10, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

I have to admit, I’d totally forgotten about this special election. The special election for Texas House District 125 has been on a characteristically slow roll as early voting closed Friday in the contest to fill former State Rep. Justin … Continue reading →

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Cornyn’s 2020 strategy

Posted on February 8, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. As the Texas GOP Party chairman from 2010 to 2015, Steve Munisteri warned that Republicans could no longer take the Lone Star State for granted and that the party needed to reach … Continue reading →

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Cornyn is not waiting on 2020

Posted on January 31, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

It’s what I’d do if I were Big John Cornyn. John Cornyn and other politicians say an incumbent should run in one of two ways: scared or unopposed. Given that philosophy, Texas’s senior senator is having nightmares about his 2020 … Continue reading →

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Morales and Noriega in runoff for HD145

Posted on January 30, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

No surprises here. Democrats Christina Morales and Melissa Noriega appeared headed for a runoff in the special election Tuesday to fill state Sen. Carol Alvarado’s seat in the Texas House. Early voting and absentee ballot totals showed Morales, a city … Continue reading →

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Today is Election Day in HD145

Posted on January 29, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Today is Election Day for approximately 71,000 registered voters in Texas State Representative District 145. All polling locations for the Special Election to Fill a Vacancy will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. District 145 … Continue reading →

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Early voting ends in HD145

Posted on January 27, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Turnout ticked up considerably on Friday, which is an alternate headline for the one given to the Chron story. Early voting to fill state Sen. Carol Alvarado’s former seat in the Texas House ended Friday with just 1,528 ballots recorded, … Continue reading →

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Slow going so far in HD145 special election

Posted on January 19, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Still a week of early voting to go, but so far just a handful of ballots have been cast. Voters in Texas’ 145th House District are trickling to the polls for the first week of early voting in a sluggish … Continue reading →

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Meet KP George

Posted on January 5, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

He’s the new Fort Bend County Judge. In December, that strange suspended-in-motion month between his election and taking office, K.P. George was checking out the quaint old domed Fort Bend County Courthouse, soon to be his domain. In November, to … Continue reading →

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Eight file for HD145

Posted on January 4, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a big field. Eight candidates filed by Thursday’s 5 p.m. deadline for the Jan. 29 special election to fill the Texas House seat vacated by Sen. Carol Alvarado, D-Houston. Early voting begins Jan. 14, a little more than a … Continue reading →

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The losers of 2018

Posted on December 31, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Allow me to point you to the Observer’s list of six Texas political players who lost power in 2018. I’d call it five-sixths of a good list, plus one entry I don’t quite understand. 3) Bexar County Democrats Want to … Continue reading →

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From the “If at first you don’t succeed” department

Posted on December 28, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Three Dem Congressional candidates from 2018 may try again in 2020. Among the typically deep-red districts that came down to single digits were three races around Harris County. Incumbent Reps. Michael McCaul, R-Austin, and Pete Olson, R-Sugar Land, won by … Continue reading →

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The Harris County GOP has not hit bottom yet

Posted on December 27, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

I have four thing to say about this. Drubbed. Shellacked. Whooped. Walloped. Routed. However you want to describe November’s midterm election, it was disastrous for Harris County Republicans. They were swept from the remaining countywide posts they held — the other shoe … Continue reading →

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Early voting concludes in SD06

Posted on December 10, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Tomorrow is Election Day. Early voting concluded Friday in the special election to replace Sylvia Garcia in Senate District 6, and the low turnout is about what the Harris County clerk expected. More than 1,097 voters cast ballots Friday either … Continue reading →

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The potential for more

Posted on December 8, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Beto O’Rourke came very close to beating Ted Cruz. How much closer can Dems get in 2020? As newly updated election results showed U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz’s victory was even tighter than first realized, Democratic-led voter registration groups are saying … Continue reading →

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How Dems took Hays County

Posted on December 8, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Three cheers for Texas State University. As the dust settles after last week’s election, the political identity of Hays County hangs in the balance: Is it red or blue? The rapidly growing Central Texas suburban county — Texas’ 22nd-largest by … Continue reading →

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Precinct analysis: One final look at judicial races and undervoting

Posted on December 6, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

This one is short and sweet, and really could have been the entry level way of looking at the question “who is more likely to lose voters down the ballot when straight ticket voting is gone, Dems or Republicans?” We … Continue reading →

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Precinct analysis: Undervoting in judicial races

Posted on December 5, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Last time, we looked at undervoting by State Rep district in the two city propositions, which were at the very end of the 2018 ballot. That showed a somewhat greater likelihood of people in Democratic districts to skip those races, … Continue reading →

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The changing tides in Central Texas

Posted on December 4, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

From the Statesman: Six Democrats came within 5 points or fewer in six Texas races, including three districts in Central Texas where Republicans traditionally win easily. Democrats now hold 13 of 36 Texas congressional seats. “This is about persistence. This … Continue reading →

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Precinct analysis: Undervotes in the city

Posted on December 3, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

We’ve previously discussed non-partisan initiatives at the end of the ballot and how often people have undervoted in them in the past. Now let’s take a closer look at the two ballot items from this year. Dist A Yes A … Continue reading →

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SD06 early voting update

Posted on December 2, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Slow so far, which is what you’d expect. More than 5,000 voters had cast ballots as of Friday in the special election to replace Sylvia Garcia in Senate District 6. The Harris County Clerk’s Office reported 1,580 in-person votes and … Continue reading →

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The case against Beto (and Julian) for President

Posted on November 30, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

From Chris Hooks: Democrats, taking advantage of the president’s unpopularity, stand a chance of winning control of more state legislatures in 2020 and building the foundations of their party, just as Republicans did in 2010. It’s a great opportunity, and … Continue reading →

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Precinct analysis: Straight ticket voting by State Rep district

Posted on November 29, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

As advertised: Dist Str R Str D Str L Turnout Str R% Str D% Str L% Total ===================================================================== HD126 24,093 19,491 269 56,336 42.77% 34.60% 0.48% 77.84% HD127 34,178 19,157 312 69,198 49.39% 27.68% 0.45% 77.53% HD128 29,034 12,583 221 … Continue reading →

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Still more about straight ticket voting

Posted on November 28, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

And I’m still complaining about how the subject is being approached and discussed. Fewer than half of Texans voted straight ticket in 1998, according to research by Austin Community College political scientist Stefan Haag, but that has jumped to close … Continue reading →

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On straight tickets and undervotes

Posted on November 25, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

As we know, straight ticket voting in Texas is now officially a thing of the past. It will not be an option in 2020, the next time there will be partisan elections. Thanks to the success of Democratic candidates in … Continue reading →

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