18 Percent of Registered Voters in Texas Just Decided the Future
Super Tuesday holds significant importance in the United States presidential election process. On this day, voters in 16 states and one territory participate in primary elections and caucuses. It’s the largest single-day event in the race for the White House.
Low Down on Lone Star Voter Turnout
At IGCI, we believe that “March Matters;” therefore, we closely watched the 2024 Super Tuesday primaries, particularly in our home state - Texas. Diving into the details a bit more, we identified the following trends and results of Texas primary participation.
82 Percent of Registered Voters in Texas Didn’t Participate in Primaries
Despite the major party nominations at stake, voter turnout in Texas was low, especially compared to the last presidential election year. Here are the stats:
Texas had 17.9 million registered voters for the 2024 primaries.
Only around 3.2 million Texans voted.
This number is down from 4.1 million during the 2020 presidential primary.
Of all votes, about 67% were in the Republican primary.
Major Metros Didn’t Show Up Early
Early voting turnout in the 2024 Texas primaries saw a decline compared to the 2020 elections. Notably, the state’s most populous urban counties—Harris, Bexar, Dallas, and Travis—experienced lower participation. Only 8.1% of voters turned out in these counties, compared to an 11.4% turnout in 2020.
Suburban Growth Didn’t Necessarily Translate to Increased Participation
Despite the rapid expansion of suburbs in areas like Tarrant, Fort Bend, Collin, Denton, Hays, and Williamson, early voting numbers declined. This unexpected pattern highlights the complex interplay between population shifts and civic engagement, challenging assumptions about electoral behavior in these dynamic regions.
Rural Republican Counties Demonstrated Resilience in Voter Participation
Predominantly Republican rural areas experienced the smallest dip in participation rates, with only about a 1.5 percentage point decrease. This contrasted sharply with urban centers, where early voter turnout declined significantly.
Democratic Participation Declined Dramatically
Political analysts attribute this phenomenon to factors such as voter apathy and the lack of competitive races on the Democratic side.
Source: Texas Tribune
What Did the 18 Percent Decide?
Here are the key takeaways from the 2024 Texas primaries, which were decided by only 18% of registered voters in the state.
Texans Want a Presidential Rematch
Texas voters nominated Democratic President Joe Biden and former Republican President Donald Trump for the nation’s top elected office.
Battle for US Senate Seat is Set
US Congressman Colin Allred is the Democrat’s choice to challenge the Republican incumbent Ted Cruz in November’s General Election.
Future of the Texas House is Uncertain
Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan is forced into a runoff that threatens to end his two-term reign overseeing the lower chamber.
Civics Education Snapshot
Primary elections are one of the first steps in the US electoral process. It’s when voters like you decide which candidates will represent a political party in the general elections. In comparison, when you vote in the general elections, you help decide who will officially win the job of public office for positions like president, senator, governor, and more.