BELL COUNTY, Texas — Across the country, early voter numbers have exploded compared to past election cycles. In Texas, 2020 early voters surpassed the total votes cast in the 2016 election.
In Bell County, there was a similar boom in voters who turned out early. In 2020, early voter numbers as of October 30 had 102,961 votes cast, according to Bell County Elections. This number also includes mail-in ballots received. For the 2016 election in its entirety, 94,551 votes were cast according to the Secretary of State's office.
6 News spoke with Associate Professor of Political Science at Baylor Patrick Flavin about these turnout numbers. He named two reasons we saw a jump in turnout. Partly because Texas is more competitive politically than in the past, but he also mentioned early voting being extended.
"When you make it easier, more convenient for people to cast a ballot you get more people voting," Flavin said.
Flavin said over the last two or three decades, political scientists have been concerned voter turnout is on the decline, but he thinks this could be the start of a reversal.
