LIVE UPDATES: Texas election news, races, live voting results

It is Election Day and there are several races happening across Texas that could have a big impact both locally and nationally.

This page will be updated throughout the day with breaking news, information and race calls as they happen.

Refresh the page for updates.

5:30 p.m.

The first polls in the United States closed at 6 p.m. ET in Indiana and Kentucky giving a look at some of the first presidential votes of the evening.

Polls in Texas are open until 7 p.m. local time. If you're still in line at 7 p.m., remain in line, and you will be allowed to vote.

Still need to vote? You can find your polling location here.

READ MORE: When will Texas election results start coming in?

4:57 p.m.

Candidates across the state are out greeting voters in the last few hours of voting.

Rep. Beth Van Duyne posted photos from Southlake City Hall in Tarrant County.

In Texas Congressional District 32, Democratic hopeful Julie Johnson and her wife, Sue, were out poll greeting.

In Congressional District 26, Brandon Gill posed for a photo with his family.

Further south, Democrat Michelle Vallejo is running to unseat Monica De La Cruz in the 15th Congressional District.

READ MORE: Three South Texas races could help determine control of the US House

3:20 p.m.

Latest in-person vote totals:

Dallas County: More than 120,500 in-person

Tarrant County: More than 104,000 in-person

Harris County: More than 200,000 in-person

Travis County: More than 69,000 in-person

2:42 p.m.

In Dallas County, more than 107,000 people voted by 2 p.m. on Tuesday.

In 2020, about 118,000 ballots were cast for the entire Election Day.

2:33 p.m.

Harris County says more than 153.5K votes have been cast on Election Day as of 1 p.m.

2:09 p.m.

Governor Greg Abbott is planning his victory lap on school choice.

On Tuesday afternoon, Abbott released a media advisory on the importance of passing school choice legislation.

Abbott made school choice a priority in the last Texas legislative session, but Democrats and rural Republicans teamed up to remove Education Savings Accounts from an education bill in 2023. Gov. Abbott actively campaigned against those Republicans in this year's primary.

The governor told FOX 4's Steven Dial that he believed he had the votes to pass school choice legislation after the primary.

Abbott's remarks are scheduled for Wednesday afternoon at Kingdom Live Academy in Tyler.

1:35 p.m.

If you are heading out to vote, it's important to know what you're voting on. Here's a look at some sample ballots across the state.

• North Texas Sample Ballots
• Southeast Texas Sample Ballots
• Central Texas Sample Ballots

1:19 p.m.

Senate candidate Colin Allred spoke to a group of people phone banking for him in Dallas on Tuesday afternoon.

Allred is looking to become the first Democrat to represent Texas in the US Senate since 1993.

Democrats have not won a statewide election in Texas since 1994.

READ MORE: No Democrat has won a statewide office in Texas since 1994

12:53 p.m.

Donald Trump is looking to win Texas for a third consecutive presidential election.

He cast a vote in Florida on Tuesday and spoke to the press after.

Watch the comments in the video player above.

12:40 p.m.

Police at the U.S. Capitol in Washington DC say they arrested a man who smelled like fuel and had a torch and a flare gun at the Capitol Visitor Center.

The CVC says it has closed its tours for the day.

12:29 p.m.

Harris County says more than 103,000 ballots have been cast on Election Day as of 11 a.m.

More than 1.1 million people cast a vote in the county in the two weeks of early voting.

As of noon, Dallas County saw 84,427 voters, Tarrant County had 70,245 voters and Collin County has 36,218 early votes.

12:08 p.m.

Colin Allred and Ted Cruz will be in different parts on the Lone Star State on Tuesday night.

Allred will be at a watch party in his hometown of Dallas.

Ted Cruz will be in downtown Houston.

Here's how some of the state's biggest counties have voted in recent Senate elections.

• How North Texas has voted in previous Senate elections
• How Central Texas has voted in recent Senate elections
• How Southeast Texas has voted in past Senate elections

11:49 a.m.

Now that voting is underway, when we will start seeing results here in Texas? In Texas, polls remain open until 7 p.m. local time and votes from that precinct cannot be counted before the last voter has cast a ballot.

Then, the results of early voting in each of Texas' 254 counties are submitted to the Secretary of State's Office. The early voting results are usually known soon after the polls close.

That means you can expect to see the first results on our page shortly after 7 p.m.

We won't see the first results from the El Paso area, which is in Mountain Time, until just after 8 p.m. CT.

As for the swing states? You can details about when results will in come those places here.

11:07 a.m.

School choice is not directly on the ballot this November, but many people are closely watching Texas House races to see if Republicans will be able to pass education savings accounts this fall.

21 House Republicans joined 63 Democrats to remove ESAs from an education bill in 2023. Gov. Abbott actively campaigned against those Republicans in this year's primary.

Now a group of pro-school choice candidates are on the ballot.

Gov. Abbott believes he will have the votes.

READ MORE: The Texas House races that could decide school choice

10:17 a.m.

Three races along the southern border of Texas could help shape the balance in the United States House of Representatives.

In the 15th Congressional District of Texas, Republican Monica De La Cruz finds herself against a familiar opponent in Michelle Vallejo. De Le Cruz defeated Vallejo by nine points in 2022.

Henry Cuellar has represented Texas' 28th Congressional District since 2004, but is facing a stiff challenge from Republican Jay Furman. Cuellar was indicted this May on allegations he and his wife accepted bribes from an oil and gas company owned by the government of Azerbaijan and a bank in Mexico.

District 34 is another rematch of a 2022 contest with Vincente Gonzalez defending his seat against Mayra Flores.

READ MORE: Three South Texas races could help determine control of the US House

10:11 a.m.

A Democratic presidential candidate has not won Texas since Jimmy Carter did in 1976. 

Here is how Texans have voted in recent presidential elections.

• How North Texas has voted in recent presidential elections
• How Central Texas has voted in recent presidential elections
• How Southeast Texas has voted in recent presidential elections

10:03 a.m.

TMZ's Michael Babock sat down with FOX 4 on Tuesday morning to talk about how celebrities have weighed in on the presidential election.

9:37 a.m.

It is a rainy Election Day in Houston. 

FOX 26 is taking a look at how the weather is affecting voters.

9:18 a.m.

Senator Ted Cruz and his Democratic challenger Colin Allred have taken to social media to encourage their supporters to get out and vote.

The Senate race is one of the most closely watched on Election Day.

Both candidates sat down with FOX to discuss their campaigns.

9:13 a.m.

If you are looking to mail your ballot, you still have time.

All ballots by mail must be postmarked by 7 p.m. on Election Day.

8:47 a.m.

Before you head out to vote, you may need to change what you are wearing.

Texas is one of 21 states where people are not allowed to wear political clothing at a polling place.

"A person may not wear a badge, insignia, emblem, or other similar communicative device relating to a candidate, measure, or political party appearing on the ballot, or to the conduct of the election, in the polling place or within 100 feet of any outside door through which a voter may enter the building in which the polling place is located," reds the state election code.

The rule recently led to an incident in San Antonio.

8:32 a.m.

Several Texas counties have online tools to help you know how long of a wait you can expect at the polls before you go.

• How to check voting wait times in Harris County
• How to check voting wait times in Fort Bend County
• How to check voting wait times in Travis County

8:11 a.m.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is claiming victory after filing a lawsuit against the Justice Department to keep poll monitors out of Texas polling places.

Paxton sent a release on Tuesday morning saying the U.S. Justice Department agreed not to enter Texas polling and central county locations.

Paxton filed suit against the Department of Justice in a federal court in Amarillo after the department said poll watchers would be sent to Atascosa, Bexar, Dallas, Frio, Harris, Hays, Palo Pinto, and Waller counties.

READ MORE: DOJ agrees to keep federal election monitors out of Texas polling places, central count locations

8:05 a.m.

Your "I Voted" sticker is more than just a reason to post to social media.

You can use it to get some freebies today!

READ MORE: Election Day deals: Some perks for showing your 'I Voted' sticker

7:45 a.m.

Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson says election officials are ready for the big day.

"I want to thank all the election workers who make this process possible, and I encourage voters to live up Texas’ friendly reputation when casting their ballots," said Secretary Nelson.

7:42 a.m.

Security is on a lot of people's minds as voters head to the polls.

Austin Police say they are going to increase the number of officers on Election Day.

They are just one of several law enforcement agencies stepping up patrols for the election.

READ MORE: Several Central Texas law enforcement agencies preparing for Election Day

7:15 a.m.

Even though polls just opened, many people are searching for when they can expect results.

The first results generally start to trickle in shortly after 7 a.m.

In 2016, the Associated Press called Texas for Donald Trump around 8 p.m. CST on election night, just after the polls closed in the western part of the state.

In 2020, however, the race call came just after midnight on Nov. 4, around four hours after the last polls were scheduled to close in the state.

In the 2018 race for US Senate, the AP called the race for Ted Cruz over Beto O'Rourke at 9:27 p.m. 

READ MORE: When will Texas election results start coming in?

7:00 a.m.

The first polls are now open in Texas!

They will remain open until 7 p.m. central time.

6:52 a.m.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing to keep federal election monitors out of the state of Texas.

Paxton filed suit against the Department of Justice in a federal court in Amarillo after the department said poll watchers would be sent to Atascosa, Bexar, Dallas, Frio, Harris, Hays, Palo Pinto, and Waller counties.

A 2013 Supreme Court ruling requires federal election monitors to get permission from state agents or have a federal court order.

READ MORE: Attorney General Ken Paxton sues to keep federal election monitors out of Texas

6:23 a.m.

Polls have opened on the East Coast, but we won't see them open in Texas until 7 a.m.

If you're up early and headed to the polls, here are just a few of the races we are watching.

• Races to watch in North Texas
• Races to watch in Central Texas
• Races to watch in Houston, Southeast Texas

You can also watch our 2024 election special in the video player above. It features interviews from Ted Cruz and Colin Allred on their race for Texas' Senate seat.

The race, which is the most expensive in Texas history, has drawn eyeballs from across the country.

The special also breaks down the issues that are expected to drive Texas voters to the polls on Election Day and a look at the presidential race in the state.

We'll be sharing reports from FOX stations across Texas throughout the day.