Going into Election Day, at least 98,192 Hays County voters have cast ballots in the 2020 general election, or 24,604 more than in the entire 2016 general election—a 33.43% increase.
According to Hays County, there were 14,983 mail-in ballots requested for this election, and 13,095 were returned as of the morning of Nov. 3—an 87.4% turnout. In 2016, there were 4,586 absentee ballots returned. So far, mail-in ballot participation has increased by 285.54%.
Early voting accounts for the other 86.66% of voter participation in this election with 85,082 ballots cast, up from 51,835 in 2016—or a 64.14% jump.
With 152,840 registered voters, voter turnout for the county reached 64.24% with in-person Election Day voting and some mail-in ballots yet to be counted. Voter turnout was 63.17% for the 2016 election.
The release of election results for the county was expected to begin at 7 p.m. Nov. 3.