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Early voting kicks off in Texas
Early voting began for the 2024 November general election on Monday. Thousands of people in north Texas got out to have their voices heard at the ballot box.
DALLAS - The first day of early voting in Texas was met with long lines at some polling locations. Those who waited said they wanted to get their vote in on the first day and check it off their to-do list.
"There’s no way I was going to miss this vote," said Karen Fry, who voted in Dallas County.
MORE: Where to Vote: Dallas County early voting locations
"This election is really important, the most important ever," added Shannon McCutchin, who also voted at Fretz Park Library in Far North Dallas.
Some voters stood in line there on Monday morning for about an hour.
SKY 4 also captured images of long lines at Tarrant County polling locations in Crowley and Keller.
At Tarrant County College Southeast, there were long lines around lunchtime.
Around 1 p.m., the county saw nearly 32,000 voters. In 2020, Tarrant County had 42,000 ballots cast for the entire first day of early voting.
MORE: Where to Vote: Tarrant County early voting locations
"The future of the country is really important, especially for the younger generation that’s important," said Anesh Soodyall, a Tarrant County voter.
FOX 4 asked some voters in Dallas and Tarrant counties what issues matter most to them.
"The border, the economy, everything," McCutchin said.
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"Abortion, immigration, women’s rights, immigration rights," said Nancy Cardenas, a first-time voter in Dallas County who became a citizen just a few years ago. "It’s scary what could happen."
"Economy and immigration and crime," said Michael Grafee, who voted in Tarrant County.
The biggest statewide race in Texas is for the United States Senate.
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Dallas Congressman Colin Allred and Sen. Ted Cruz both voted on the first day of early voting.
"We’ve got to keep Texas, Texas, and we can’t go down the road of the Californians, New York and Illinois," Sen. Cruz said.
"This is an election you can’t sit out. Everything you care about is going to be on the ballot," Rep. Allred said.
Allred has trailed in the polls, but some have him within striking distance.
SMU political scientist Matthew Wilson said Allred will need to run it up in places like Tarrant County, where President Joe Biden won by less than a point in 2020.
MORE: 2024 Elections Voting Guide
"If Democrats carry it by more than a point or two, that’s a very good sign for Colin already. It suggests that he’s going to be running a very, very close race and has a chance to win. So, I think Tarrant County is a good one to watch in terms of what direction is what," Wilson said.
Several of the people FOX 4 spoke to at the polls had travel plans later in the week, so they wanted to make sure they voted early.