Early Voting Opens Today in Texas and South Carolina

Early voting for the Nov. 3 midterm elections opened today, Monday, Oct. 19, in Texas and South Carolina, two of the biggest states starting their in-person early vote this week. Anyone registered can vote early in person, and neither state asks early voters for a reason.

Texas: a record electorate

Texas has a record 19,041,684 registered voters for this election, Secretary of State Robert Howden announced. That is up 2.2 percent from the November 2024 general election. Early voting in Texas runs from Monday, Oct. 19 through Friday, Oct. 30, and during that period Texans can cast a ballot at any early voting location in their county of registration, the Secretary of State's office said.

At the polls, Texas voters show one of seven accepted forms of photo ID, including a Texas driver's license or a U.S. passport. Voters who cannot reasonably obtain one can sign a Reasonable Impediment Declaration and present other supporting documents, VoteTexas.gov says. The deadline for the early voting clerk to receive a mail ballot application is Friday, Oct. 23. It is a received-by deadline, not a postmark deadline.

The top of the Texas ballot carries a tight U.S. Senate race between Republican Ken Paxton and Democrat James Talarico, and a governor's race between Greg Abbott and Gina Hinojosa.

South Carolina: two full weeks

South Carolina's early voting runs from Monday, Oct. 19 through Saturday, Oct. 31. Centers are open 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday to Saturday, and closed on Sunday, Oct. 25, the State Election Commission said. Early voting centers can differ from a voter's Election Day polling place, so the commission tells voters to check their location at scVOTES.gov before they go.

Voters check in with a photo ID, such as a South Carolina driver's license, a DMV identification card, a voter registration card with a photo, a federal military ID or a U.S. passport. Absentee voting by mail in South Carolina still needs an approved excuse, with applications due Oct. 23, and completed ballots must be received by 7 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3.

The South Carolina ballot is headed by races for governor and for the U.S. Senate seat held by the late Lindsey Graham, the Greenville News reported.

The short version

• Texas: vote early Oct. 19 to Oct. 30, at any early voting site in your county. Mail ballot applications must be received by Oct. 23.
• South Carolina: vote early Oct. 19 to Oct. 31, 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., closed Sunday Oct. 25. Check your center at scVOTES.gov.
• Election Day in both states: Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado and Connecticut also open early voting today, with Hawaii and Louisiana starting Tuesday.