Collin Co. Republicans, Dallas Co. Democrats turning out in high numbers for early voting

DALLAS - Collin County, once reliably Republican red, is trending more purple.

Republicans and Democrats are voting in almost equal numbers in early voting, with Republicans still holding a slight edge.

Democrats in Collin County have nearly doubled their early voting turnout compared with the 2016 presidential primary.

And Democrats in Dallas County are also motivated.

Collin County Republicans have turned out to vote in the highest numbers so far this election, followed by Dallas County Democrats.

The rate for both is five percent of registered voters.

Democrats in Collin County also turning out in high numbers, with 4.8 percent of registered voters.

“Democratic primary is voting probably twice what it did four years ago,” said Bruce Sherbert, Collin County elections supervisor.

Sherbert said more competition for the Democratic presidential nomination this time around is likely driving the turnout.

“What draws voters are hotly contested elections. Top of the ticket on the Democratic primary, still a lot of decisions for presidential candidates. That's going to turn voters out in higher numbers,” he explained.

But both the Democratic and Republican turnout in Dallas, Tarrant, and Collin counties is lower, percentage wise, than 2008, when Barack Obama brought out record numbers of Democrats.

The poorest showing this year has been Dallas County Republicans, with less than two and a half percent of registered voters casting their ballot so far.

But that may be because there are few hotly contested Republican races in the county.     

The Republican party has told Dallas County that they cannot find enough judges to fill the large number of polling places the county originally planned for.

Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said the county will work to fill in the gap.

“Allowing county employees to be paid their salaries to go work an election place, where necessary,” he explained.

Republicans have agreed that wherever there is a Democratic judge, the county can hold a joint primary.

But the county is preparing to close some of the polling sites that are close to other vote centers.

“In places where there is a lack of election judges, we will make sure no one will have to drive five miles,” Jenkins said.