The Texas Mid-Terms: The Urgency of it All

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“The history of the country is the story of organized people against organized money.” - Clayton Tucker, candidate for Texas Agriculture Commissioner

Next week, early voting begins in Texas. The stakes are high and I doubt seriously that we’ll see a Blue Wave. We might get a Purple Bruise, though, which I’d be pleased with. At the very least, Talarico may well beat Paxton and Gina Hinojosa is running one point behind Abbott for governor. 

All of that said, I am cautiously and not overly-optimistic about the mid-terms here. As Sharon Williams pointed out in an email recently, “Texans are notorious non-voters. In an election as important as the 2024 Presidential Election, turnout here actually fell by almost 6%. And if you think those voters fell out in equal measure between Republicans and Democrats, you would be kidding yourself. Republicans are much more likely to cast ballots than those on the more progressive end of the spectrum. [Emphasis mine: JB]”(1)

Williams points out a number of reasons why this is - some of which I’ve ranted about here - and I think it’s worth enumerating them.

The primary one that I lead with (as does Williams) and that I contend is the most problematic, is the apathy of voters who see both sides as more or less equivalent and that voting is utterly futile because the outcome doesn’t matter; it’ll just be business as usual.

Then come the structural obstacles created by the Republican Party in Texas: 

Gerrymandering (or as they call it, “redistristricting”)

An antiquated and Byzantine voter registration system

Prejudicial voter ID requirements (handgun license is acceptable, but a student ID is not, for example)

Polling places that are rarely in the same place each election

Williams adds the possibility/probability of election shenanigans/disruptions. 

All of these elements play into why I’m not grinning from ear to ear with anticipation of victory across the board come November 3.

What can make a difference is getting people to vote, talking about getting to the polls for early voting, and impressing on your friends, family, and neighbors that this mid-term election is, quite frankly, a moral imperative.

We can continue the four decades worth of Republican hegemony and continue to slide further down in terms of quality of life, healthcare, and education, or we can begin to right the ship and actually turn this state’s legislature into one that actually represents one of the most diverse populations in the United States.

I don’t want to get into the details of how people vote, but bear in mind that the ethnic majority that supports Ken Paxton for senator is, to no one’s surprise, White people. MAGA and its leader seem to have alienated the Latino voters, but there again, it might well be a case where the disenchanted stay home. 

The Legal Guide (thelegalguide.org) has a post “Why Early Voting Matters for Elections” that is well worth the read. Certainly, early voting offers convenience and reduces the stress of waiting in lines at the polls, missing work to go vote, and even avoid weather disruptions or unforeseen obligations, but the post points out something even more important: “Academic research and election analytics often show that flexible voting periods are associated with higher turnout. Early voting lowers the cognitive and logistical barriers that deter participation, especially for first-time voters or individuals with limited access to polling places on Election Day.” (2)

This is does come with caveats. “However, the impact of early voting on turnout can vary by state, local infrastructure, and public messaging. Effective outreach, clear instructions, and a trustworthy voting process amplify the positive effects of an extended voting window.” (3)

It is this last that should give us pause as we have, at the federal level, a regime hostile to the idea of fair elections and at the Texas state level, one that follows in lock-stop with that regime. 

I’ve been voting for half a century. I will admit that there are times when I was less than enthused, downright apathetic, and every so often, crazy about voting. However, the past ten years have taken a toll. I know - and likely, you do, too - that before 2020, there have been minimal issues with voting in this country. Even the Heritage Foundation found only 99 cases of noncitizen voting since 1982.(4)

This does not mean that we shouldn’t expect malfeasance, but that we should be very much ready to raise our voices if (or when) said malfeasance arises. As the old adage goes, “hope for the best, prepare for the worst.” On this last note, see the Appendix below, after the Notes. 

Right now, our main focus should be in getting our and voting early and inspiring others to do likewise. Here in Texas, we have, as James Talarico says in one of his ads, a moral imperative. Let’s get out there beginning next week and do what we can to get others to commit to voting early.  We need to be prepared for worst-c

Notes

1. ROADwomen's monthly meeting on October 20, 2026. https://mailchi.mp/b3ec0b11ffb9/january-15-2020-what-you-need-to-know-about-impeachment-20192088?e=f59cbb288c.

1. Legal Guide Team. “Why Early Voting Matters”. The Legal Guide. https://thelegalguide.org/why-early-voting-matters-elections/. October 7, 2026.

1. Ibid.

1. Explore the Data. “Election Fraud Map”. The Heritage Foundation. https://electionfraud.heritage.org/search. I’m indebted to Will Hold’s substack for this: https://thiswillhold.substack.com/p/only-99-cases-of-noncitizen-voting.

Appendix: Sources pertaining to possible election interference in the 2026 mid-terms

Democracy Forward. “Exposing and Disrupting Federal Attempts to Interfere in the 2026 Midterm Elections”. https://democracyforward.org/work/research/exposing-and-disrupting-federal-attempts-to-interfere-in-the-2026-midterm-elections/. October 9, 2026.

Eisler, Peter; Parker, Ned; So, Linda; Spector, Mike. “Election officials prepare for chaos as Trump seeks to tilt the midterms to Republicans”. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/investigations/election-officials-prepare-chaos-trump-seeks-tilt-midterms-republicans-2026-09-15/. September 15, 2026.

National Task Force on Election Crises. State and Federal Election Contests. https://electiontaskforce.org/state-and-federal-election-contests/. October 22, 2024.

Shutt, Jennifer. “How the US House could overturn the midterm election results”. News from the States. https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/how-us-house-could-overturn-midterm-election-results.September 11, 2026.