Texas voters

From Austin to Lubbock to Houston, we asked Texans what's motivating them to vote early in Texas' 2026 party primaries — plus the biggest issues on their minds this election year.

Gov. Greg Abbott was endorsed by Texas Teamsters, a labor union that has historically supported Democrats. Other large unions still back his Democratic opponent.

Texas Democrat labor leader Taylor Rehmet turned tables in a special election runoff for the Texas Senate seat in District 9, defeating GOP pick Leigh Wambsganss in a 40-year Republican stronghold. Now, fellow Democratic candidates in West Texas are hoping similar work-focused strategies can overcome tough odds in their own deep red districts.

Democrat Taylor Rehmet flipped a Texas Senate seat in deep-red Tarrant County over the weekend. Now, the surprising win is raising alarms for Republicans in Texas — and beyond — ahead of November's midterm elections.

The U.S. Postal Service warns it may not postmark mail the same day it takes possession of it. The deadline to register for the March 3 primary is Feb. 2.

Historically, Texas voters mostly skip voting in primary elections. That fact changes everything about who ends up being elected – from their ideology to possibly even their party.

The Justice Department has asked states for their voter rolls with an eye toward purging ineligible voters. Democrats say sharing the data could violate federal election law.

The governor must first win over lawmakers who have rejected similar proposals. The state may have to backfill more than $17 billion for school funding alone.

An approaching primary election was a factor in Thursday's Supreme Court decision to set aside a lower court's ruling that had blocked the Republican-backed map from taking effect. A key question moving forward is whether the lines were redrawn based on race or partisan politics.

The Secretary of State's Office didn't initially check with the Department of Public Safety, which collects proof of citizenship from people who register to vote through them.