‘New Voters’ Missing Despite Record Early Voting Numbers, Cruz Leaves Trump in the Dark

This week in Texas politics with the Texas Tribune.

By Rhonda FanningNovember 4, 2016 11:31 am,

It’s time to talk about the week that was in Texas politics. Emily Ramshaw, editor-in-chief of the Texas Tribune, stopped by the Standard today to talk about what’s been going on across the state.

Today is the last day of early voting in Texas, and it’s been a barn burner so far. Ramshaw says expectations that Election Day lines will be longer than usual might be a big reason we’re seeing more early birds.

“The people who are showing up to vote early generally are people you’d expect to vote – they’re previous voters,” Ramshaw says. “I’m not sure what necessarily it means for Election Day, but I think a lot of folks are saying, ‘Look, I know it’s going to be a barn burner and I want to beat the crowds.'”

Despite these record numbers, the so-called sleeping giant Hispanic demographic and other groups of “new” voters aren’t coming out in full force just yet.

“And maybe this is because we’re going to see some of those new voters mobilized on Election Day, maybe it’s an education gap around early voting,” she says. “But we are seeing record early voting turnout in Hispanic strongholds along the border and [in] El Paso, so clearly there is something mobilizing those folks to get to the polls early the question is whether those folks get to the polls on actual Election Day.”

What you’ll hear in this segment: 

-Rep. Beto O’Rourke’s potential campaign for U.S. Senate

Sen. Ted Cruz’s lack of direct support for Donald Trump while out on the road with Mike Pence

-Which Texans are traveling to battleground states for Hillary Clinton