To accommodate those looking to beat the Election Day rush, Travis County has announced extended hours for early voting on Thursday and Friday. According to KVUE, eight voting locations will now remain open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. to give voters additional time to cast their ballots ahead of the Nov. 5 general election.
These extended hours could potentially increase early voter turnout which, as of Sunday, was lagging compared to the previous presidential election cycle. More than 5.4 million Texas voters have already participated in early voting, a figure that falls short of the 43% participation rate observed around the same time in 2020, as reported by KVUE.
The early voting period, which is set to conclude on Nov. 1, offers voters a chance to weigh in on key races, most notably the presidential showdown between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. Furthermore, the U.S. Senate contest sees incumbent Republican Sen. Ted Cruz going against Democratic challenger Rep. Colin Allred, as noted in a piece by the Austin American Statesman.
Those still needing to find their nearest polling location can reference a list of centers organized by zip code in the Austin area, as provided by the Austin American Statesman. Meanwhile, the county's other polling places will maintain the standard opening hours from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Friday.
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