Decision 2024

Denton County early voting numbers top historic 2020 turnout

Early voting ended Friday, Nov. 1; Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5

People vote early in North Texas in October 2024.
NBC 5 News

Election Day Voting — What to Know

More than half of Denton County's 665,000 registered voters voted early, averaging 30,676 people per day over the 12-day early voting period and topping the historic turnout in 2020.

The most updated data from the Denton County Elections Department showed that 368,116 people voted early in person. The department also received 11,589 absentee ballots, bringing the total reported by the county during early voting to 379,705. That means 57.04% of the county's 665,614 registered voters have already voted.

Denton County Elections reports the turnout for the 2020 election was 74.41%, with 420,511 total votes cast. To have the same turnout percentage this year, another 17.37%, or 115,617 people, would have to vote on Tuesday. Data from Denton County Elections showed 33,812 voted for president on Election Day 2020. To match the total votes cast four years ago, another 40,806 people would need to vote in this election. 

According to the U.S. Census, despite the pandemic, the 2020 election had the highest national voter turnout of the 21st century, with 66.8% of eligible citizens voting. The average turnout for presidential elections this century is typically closer to 60%.

The chart below shows early voting by day for Denton County in 2016, 2020, and 2024.

November elections are held on the Tuesday following the first Monday of the month. Early voting typically lasts 12 days, ending four days before Election Day or the Friday before the Tuesday election. Things were a little different in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to complications and concerns with voting in person, Gov. Greg Abbott issued a proclamation extending early voting to 18 days to give Texans more time to get to the polls. Early voting typically begins on a Monday, but in 2020, it began on Tuesday, Oct. 13, because Columbus Day fell on Monday, Oct. 12. Historically, there has been lower voting on Sundays, so the drops on the chart from Sunday voting occur on Day 7 in 2016 and Day 6 in 2020. Tarrant County also did not open for early voting on Sunday, Day 6, in 2020.

HOW TEXAS VOTED IN 2020

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