Record number of Texans vote in 2020 election

TYLER, Texas (KLTV) - UT Tyler Assistant Professor of Political Science Mark Owens says while the results of the presidential election are unclear, one thing is. Texans showed up to the polls in record numbers this election.

“Texas really did break records for that. 66% of registered voters voted, and previously the high watermark for that was 60% in 2008,” Owens said.

Democrats in Texas hoped this would be the year they could flip the state in their favor − but President Trump won Texas last night. Senator John Cornyn also defeated his Democratic challenger MJ Hegar by 10 points.

“I think it was expected. In this question, it had to be high turnout for him to lose. In sense, it had to be high turnout among a lot of individuals and I think we saw that enthusiasm was there in early voting, but it may not have continued through the aspect of election day,” Owens said.

Tonight in battleground states, mail-in ballots are still being counted − ballots that Owens says could favor Democrats.

“There has been research to think that sometimes 60% of those mail in ballots can support a Democratic candidate. In an aspect here though in Texas, a lot of people go to the polls and actually make their votes. That’s a difference we have where we have to provide an excuse to do that in Texas. Elsewhere they don’t,” Owens said.

President Trump says he will ask for a recount of Wisconsin ballots and will sue to temporarily stop vote counting in Pennsylvania.

Copyright 2020 KLTV. All rights reserved.