TX: Turnout Predicted Up From '04

By David Brown
Voter turnout in Texas was described as "steady, manageable, and with no unusually long lines" by a spokeswoman for the secretary of state's office. Part of the reason for no crowds may be the massive early voting recorded in the Lone Star state.

Out of 8.4 million registered voters in the state's 15 most-populous counties, 3.5 million voted early, an option in Texas since 1988. That is substantially more than the 2.5 million voting early in those counties four years ago.

Texas's secretary of state, Hope Andrade, predicted a turnout of 68 percent, up from 56 percent in 2004. The state today has 13.5 million registered voters -- 800,000 more than it had last March for the primaries.