AUSTIN, Texas — Once the polls close, the work is just beginning for election offices across Texas.
There are more than 18 million registered voters in Texas, so counting all those ballots takes time. Results for the presidential race and other races like the Texas Senate race between Colin Allred and Ted Cruz are only "partially reported" and won't be official for some time.
So when will counties in Central Texas see results?
Each polling location is required to count votes within 24 hours of the polls closing on Election Day. Most counties will have early voting results counted and posted shortly after the polls close at 7 p.m. local time.
In counties with a population of more than 100,000 – like Hays, Travis and Williamson – election officials can count mail-in ballots on the last day of early voting after the polls close.
Mail-in ballots and votes from Election Day will be added in batches and updated on county websites and the Texas Secretary of State's results page for district, state and federal elections. However, voting by mail in Texas requires a valid excuse, so only a small share of votes are cast that way.
We already know that during early voting this election, about 48,000 Travis County voters cast their ballots – nearly 52% of all registered voters in the county. Meanwhile, in Williamson County nearly 59% of the county's registered voters cast their ballots early. And in Hays County, nearly 104,000 voters cast their ballots early, totaling about 56% of registered voters.
According to The New York Times, Texas saw the 2020 presidential election called shortly after midnight with 91% of the vote recorded. In 2022, the Texas gubernatorial election was called before midnight. Both elections had 99% of the vote recorded by noon the next day.
After all eligible ballots have been counted, county commissioners can review the records and tally the votes, which must be done by Nov. 18.
Regardless of what happens, Texas will certify all election results on Dec. 9, with the Secretary of State as a witness.
What time were presidential election results called nationally?
The Associated Press declared Joe Biden the winner of the 2020 presidential election on Saturday, Nov. 7. In 2016, the Associated Press called the race for Donald Trump in the early morning hours of Wednesday, Nov. 9.
In 2008 and 2012, Barack Obama was declared the winner over Republican candidates John McCain and Mitt Romney, respectively, on election night.
