Monday marked the first day of early voting for the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
Polls are open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and there are 47 early voting locations across the county during early voting. Find a voting site near you and the wait time on the Tarrant County elections map.
Check out the candidates in top Tarrant County and Texas races with the Star-Telegram voter guide.
Follow along here for news of the first day of early voting.
Paxton bus tour stops in downtown Fort Worth
8:22 p.m.
Attorney General and Republican U.S. Senate nominee Ken Paxton made a pit stop in Fort Worth Monday night on his “Come and Take It” bus tour. He was preceded on stage by U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
Kennedy said Paxton has done more in Texas than any other state attorney general has been able to do for the Make America Healthy Again movement.
Paxton cited his record of litigating on behalf of the health, safety, privacy and wallets of Texans as the reason the state should choose him at the polls. He told the roughly 250 attendees to compare that to the record of the “most radical Democrat to run in Texas” and see what is on the line when they vote. Paxton is running against Democrat James Talarico, who was in Fort Worth rallying at the same time Monday evening.
The Republican said he is running to protect faith, family and freedom in the U.S. Senate, but in order to do that, everyone needs to get out in vote.
When Paxton asked the crowd how many people had already voted since early voting began Monday at 8 a.m., about two dozen hands went in the air. He told the rest of the crowd that they need to vote this week and spend the rest of the voting period getting other Republicans out to the polls.
“When Republicans vote, we win,” he said.
During his 20-minute speech, Paxton pitched his “Protecting the Texas Promise” plan to make life more affordable for Texans. It includes a $25,000 healthcare deduction, a $5,000 deduction for healthy living expenses, a $50,000 deduction for first and second time homebuyers and double the child tax credit.
The election is not about red versus blue, Paxton told the crowd, it’s about keeping the America the founding fathers passed down versus a country they would never recognize. In order to safeguard the Texas way of life, Republicans must win, Paxton said.
U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. preceded Ken Paxton, the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate, at his “Come and Get it” tour on Oct. 19, 2026. Rachel Royster rroyster@star-telegram.com Grapevine largely voting straight ticket
5:38 p.m.
Well past the final hour of early voting Monday, voters were still streaming out of the Grapevine Public Library. Anyone who was in line at 5 p.m. was able to cast a ballot, but about a dozen people had to be turned away because they thought polls were open later.
Casey Maas, who voted for Democrats all the way down the ballot, said early voting is important so you’re not putting it off. She chose Democrats because that’s who tends to care for women and LGBTQ+ rights, she said.
Jana Hataway is a lifelong Republican who voted straight ticket, as she has since she first cast a ballot in 1978, she said. Hataway voted on behalf of her parents, who have both passed and were generational Republicans.
“I’m just not going to give in to the catastrophe, the chaos, the mayhem of the Democrats,” she said.
Hataway waited in line for about 30 minutes, which she said went quickly.
A born-and-raised Texan, David Magdaleno said he voted Democrat all the way down. He grew up in a Republican household in the Rio Grande Valley and used to be a single-issue voter but has “taken off the glasses.”
Now that he’s older, Magdaleno said he can see that the Republican policies are the ones hurting the Texas school system and making the rich even richer.
“It’s time for a change,” he said.
Magdaleno said he wants elected officials who serve the working class Texan, and Republicans Paxton and Greg Abbott aren’t that.
Sean Regan, who voted straight Democrat, said 30 years of the same party in power has created a stale and complacent government. By voting against Abbott and other Republicans, he said he hopes to give them a wake-up call to serve all of their constituents, not just the conservative ones.
In the race for railroad commissioner between Democrat Jon Rosenthal and Republican Bo French, Regan said it doesn’t seem like French even wants to do the job of regulating the state’s oil and gas industry. French just wants power, Regan said.
“It amazes me somebody like him is anywhere close to having any sort of power or voice that matters,” Regan said. “He’s a confusing candidate. He’s running on hate.”
Most Colleyville voters want to keep Texas red
4:45 p.m.
At the Colleyville Recreation Center, voters waited in line for about an hour to cast their ballot. The voters themselves were largely Republican, but some others wanted to see Democrats take office.
Kathy Hadley said Texas has “done very well being red, so we should keep her red.” Hadley, a retired widow, said she wants to see Texas and its scenery preserved and that the Democrats moving to the state want to destroy that. The most important races for Hadley were the U.S. Senate, where she voted for Paxton and governor, where she opted for Abbott.
Rob Windsor, a Republican, voted the same way. He said the GOP’s conservative values and growth-mindset for the economy are the best for Texas.
Nicole Knight went further down her ballot to vote Republican in local races. County Judge Tim O’Hare has her vote because she’s known him for a long time, and they’ve worked together on several issues. Knight started out trying to vote in Southlake but came to Colleyville because the map promised no wait. She instead had to wait for about an hour.
Ari Prakash, who is typically a Republican voter, selected Democrats all the way down the ballot. It was “a total protest vote,” he said. Prakash said he is unhappy with President Donald Trump and his “blatant lies.”
LaJaynes Dupruy was voting for Democrats down the ballot too, but that’s typical for her, she said. Her favorites were Gina Hinojosa for governor and James Talarico for U.S. Senate because they both are “fair legislators and care about people.” That’s what’s missing in politics today, Dupruy said.
Saginaw sees two-hour wait to vote
3:35 p.m.
A mammoth of a line zigzagged its way through Saginaw Public Library Monday afternoon. Though most of the voters were determined to get through the wait to cast a ballot, a few abandoned the effort with hope that the line would be shorter later that day or this week.
Devynn Ballinger said she waited for two hours in the “excruciating” line but was happy to, so that she could vote “corruption out of government.” Ballinger voted for the first time ever in the primaries earlier this year after realizing her vote wouldn’t count if she didn’t use it.
She said there were only about a dozen machines in the voting room.
“It’s really cool to see that even with the line so long, people are still using their voice,” Ballinger said. “It’s really beautiful.”
Alexis Longcrier said she is still determined to vote, but it won’t be today. Longcrier’s big ticket items on the ballot are the governor race and the bond proposals in Eagle Mountain-Saginaw school district. As a teacher in the district, she said she’ll be voting blue down the ballot and yes for the propositions.
Another Eagle Mountain-Saginaw teacher, Chris Reyes, decided after standing in line for one minute that he’d go to another voting site. Reyes was surprised to see such a big turnout and assumed it was out of a desire for change. Reyes said he will be voting for the candidates who care about teachers and students.
Voting lines across the county have wait time of 30-45 minutes
2:15 p.m.
With all but one of the 47 polling locations reporting their wait times, the vast majority are seeing voters wait in line for 30 to 45 minutes or more.
There are 26 polling locations with a 45-minute wait, nine with a 30-minute wait and five where voters are waiting for 15 minutes. Only six locations are reporting no wait.
A screenshot of the wait time map for polling locations in Tarrant County at 2 p.m. on the first day of early voting, Oct. 19, 2026. The vast majority have voters waiting in lines for 30-45 minutes. Tarrant County Elections James Talarico rallies in Denton ahead of Fort Worth event
2:02 p.m.
U.S. Senate Democratic nominee James Talarico started off the first day of early voting in Denton rallying voters at University of North Texas. Later today, he will do the same at North Crowley High School in Fort Worth.
The “Clear Eyes, Full Hearts” tour is the moment to leave it all on the field, Talarico said. The name is a reference to a mantra from the television show “Friday Night Lights” which says “Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose.”
Talarico was entirely confident he would win when the votes are counted on Nov. 3. He discussed his experience flipping a state house seat and promised that the giants funding his competitor Ken Paxton wouldn’t know what hit them when Talarico secures the senate seat.
“Our movement is funded by 1.3 million individuals who have given to our campaign,” Talarico said. “Ken Paxton is funded by one dude. Elon Musk wants our land, he wants our water, he wants his very own personal U.S. Senator.”
The only policy Talarico spoke about during the rally was the “comprehensive, anti-corruption agenda” he plans to file on his first day in office. It includes banning corporate PACs and Super PACs, keeping members of Congress from trading stocks while in public office, making gerrymandering illegal nationwide and passing term limits.
“That is the kind of systemic reform we need,” Talarico said.
Campus leaders led the crowd to the polls following Talarico’s event to cast their ballots.
“We are going to shock the nation, we are going to shock the world, when we end 30 years of one party rule in Texas,” Talarico told the 500-person audience.
Dems are ‘totally dangerous’ for Texas, Abbott says
12:05 p.m.
Republican Gov. Greg Abbott said it was a top priority for him to ensure Tarrant County stayed red, which is why he opted to kick off his “Let’s Roll, Get Out the Vote” Tour in southwest Fort Worth Monday afternoon.
In his 10-minute speech, the incumbent touted his success creating jobs, securing the border, bringing down crime rates, lowering property taxes and protecting election integrity over the course of his 12 years in office.
“We gather today because we cannot allow that success to be destroyed by radical leftists like Gina Hinojosa,” Abbott said. “Everybody here has heard about what the crazy leftist Talarico is about. It just boggles your mind. Here’s what you may not know, and that is in every session that they worked together, Gina Hinojosa voted to the radical left of even Talarico.”
Hinojosa is “totally dangerous for our communities,” and the election is between common sense and total catastrophe, Abbott said.
“But listen, none of this common sense is going to come about unless we have everybody go vote,” Abbott said. “Voting is how we win all of this.”
Abbott promised to take a photo with everyone at the event who has already voted or plans to vote directly after the event.
Abbott rally brings out hundreds and a protest
11:20 a.m.
Hundreds of people were in line to get into Gov. Greg Abbott’s rally at the Old Texas Brewing Co. in southwest Fort Worth ahead of the 11:30 a.m. start time. A campaign staff member said 500 people were expected to attend at the get out the vote event.
Across the road, roughly 30 Democratic voters were chanting “fire Abbott, vote Gina” while waving signs for Gina Hinojosa, the gubernatorial challenger.
Gail Roberts, an Abbott voter, said she didn’t mind the protest. The beauty of a democracy is that everyone has a right to their opinions, and the protestors are just voicing theirs, Roberts said. The most important issues for her are the border, taxes and making Texas a prosperous state for businesses.
Linda Antinone, a retired Fort Worth school district teacher, said she wanted to protest Abbott’s event because “we need something new” for our schools. Antinone plans to vote for Hinojosa in hopes that she will deliver funding, resources and support for the school district.
Two Abbott supporters hold their “Governor Hot Wheels” flags as they wait in line for the Republican incumbent’s get out the vote rally in southwest Fort Worth on Oct. 19, 2026. Rachel Royster rroyster@star-telegram.com Voters in Como want change
10:45 a.m.
The line at Como Community Center and parking lot were similarly busy to the Arlington South Service Center. Voter Francis Berryhill said she tried voting earlier, but couldn’t find a place to park, so she returned in the late morning to a similar scene.
Berryhill said it was important for her to vote in this election because she doesn’t want to be “a pawn” while someone else makes the decisions for her. The most important race in her opinion is the one for U.S. Senate, where she will be casting a ballot for Democrat James Talarico.
William Fields agreed that Talarico is the candidate of choice in the race because he is the definition of what a Christian is. Meanwhile, Fields said, if you look up the definition of corruption, you’ll see “Paxton’s smug, narcissistic smile.” Fields is also voting for Democrat Gina Hinojosa in the gubernatorial race because he wants change and balance in Texas.
Education is a top priority for Jill Nelson, which is why she is also voting for Hinojosa. Nelson’s work puts her in proximity to Fort Worth ISD teachers, who she said are under a lot of stress from the state takeover. When teachers are stressed, students are stressed too, Nelson said.
Parking lot mayhem, line around the building
9:58 a.m.
At the City of Arlington South Service Center, cars are backed up trying to get into the over-capacity voter parking lot. Two women volunteering for the dueling Tarrant County judge candidates said it’d been that way since they got to their spots shortly before 8 a.m.
The line had been wrapped around the building since before the polls opened at 8 a.m. as well, Karen Brooks said. Brooks was handing out pamphlets for Republican County Judge Tim O’Hare and wearing an O’Hare campaign shirt. The voters aren’t thrilled at the chaos in the parking lot and the long line, but they are willing to endure it to vote, she said.
Wendy Jones, a volunteer with the Simmons campaign and Tarrant County Democratic Party, said the mood is good among the electorate this morning. They are “very happy and proud to be in a voting line today,” she said.
Wait times reaching 45 minutes in some areas
9:00 a.m.
In the first hour of voting, several polling locations have hit a 45-minute wait, with even more estimated at 15 to 30 minutes.
The longest lines were at the Dionne Phillips Bagsby Southwest Subcourthouse in Fort Worth, Crouch Event Center in Crowley, White Settlement Public Library, Keller Town Hall, City of Arlington South Service Center, Summerglen Branch Library in Fort Worth and Charles F. Griffing Building in Fort Worth.
Lines are forming
8:09 a.m.
Though not all of the Tarrant County polling locations are reporting the wait times, several already have lines with people waiting for 30 and 45 minutes.
The most popular voting sites according to the Tarrant County elections map were the Elzie Odom Athletic Center and Tarrant County SubCourthouse in Arlington. Both have wait times of over 45 minutes.
In north Fort Worth, voters are waiting for about 30 minutes at the Diamond Hill/Jarvis Branch Library, 1300 NE 35th St. The city of Arlington South Service Center and Dover Fellowship Hall in Kennedale are seeing lines of similar length.
More than 50 people were in line at 8:20 at the Northpark YMCA, 9100 N. Beach St., in far north Fort Worth. A line of voters extended into the parking lot at the Summerglen Library, 4205 Basswood Blvd.
Top-of-ballot candidates plan to rally in Fort Worth
7:43 a.m.
The two U.S. Senate candidates are set to be in Fort Worth today, pushing to get out the vote. Republican Ken Paxton and Democrat James Talarico will both be in town this evening as they tour across the state during the voting period.
The “Come and Take it” Tour, held by Paxton, will be in downtown Fort Worth Monday evening at 7 p.m. Attendees can register to attend for free on the Paxton campaign’s Eventbrite page. Doors open at 6 p.m. at the T&P Station (221 West Lancaster Ave.).
Talarico’s “Clear Eyes, Full Hearts” Tour will be in Denton Monday afternoon before moving to Fort Worth in the evening. The program begins at 7 p.m. at North Crowley High School (9100 S Hulen St.), and doors open at 6 p.m. Information for the free event is available on the campaign’s Mobilize page.
This story was originally published October 19, 2026 at 9:27 AM.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Rachel Royster is a news and government reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, specifically focused on Tarrant County. She joined the newsroom after interning at the Austin American-Statesman, the Waco Tribune-Herald and Capital Community News in DC. A Houston native and Baylor grad, Rachel enjoys traveling, reading and being outside. She welcomes any and all news tips to her email.