Texas Midterm Election Votes to Be Tallying Process Begins Post-Poll Close

Preliminary results from Texas's 2026 midterm elections will start rolling in shortly after polls close at 7 p.m., with first waves of results based on early voting ballots, which typically make up a significant portion of total votes ¹. This marks the beginning of a detailed tallying process that will see election officials in larger counties start counting mail-in ballots after the final day of early voting, while smaller counties will begin their count on the morning of Election Day ¹.

The official results, however, will take longer to finalize as they require the consolidation of ballots and adherence to procedures for accurate counting ¹. According to state law, Election Day totals must be submitted to the state within 24 hours after polls close, ensuring that all those in line at 7 p.m. have cast their ballots before polling locations are closed ¹.

Mail-in ballots sent within the United States have until November 4th to arrive, while overseas ballots have until November 9th, and provisional ballots have until November 13th for review ¹. Recounts in Texas are rare, occurring only for exact ties or if the losing candidate lost by 10% or less of the total votes ¹.

The certification of results involves a process where the governor, House speaker, and county commissioners complete their roles, with local elections certified by local canvassing authorities, and state and congressional races certified by the Secretary of State ¹. For the races of governor and lieutenant governor, certification is done by the House Speaker on January 12th ¹.

On the day of the publication, November 3rd, 2026, there were notable local events such as celebrations at Elon Musk's Austin compound, a man being identified after being killed at a gas station, an arrest in a copper theft case, and a confession leading to an arrest nine years after a murder ³. These events added a layer of excitement to the already charged atmosphere surrounding the midterm elections.

What we know

• - Preliminary results will start coming in shortly after polls close at 7 p.m. ¹
• - First waves of results will be based on early voting ballots. ¹
• - Official results will take longer due to the need to consolidate ballots. ¹
• - Larger counties can start counting mail-in ballots after the final day of early voting. ¹
• - Smaller counties can start counting mail-in ballots on the morning of Election Day. ¹
• - Election Day totals must be submitted to the state within 24 hours after polls close. ¹
• - Mail-in ballots sent within the U.S. have a November 4th deadline, while overseas ballots have a November 9th deadline. ¹
• - Provisional ballots have a November 13th deadline for review. ¹
• - Recounts in Texas are rare and only occur for exact ties or if the losing candidate lost by 10% or less of the total votes. ¹
• - Results are not officially certified until a process involving the governor, House speaker, and county commissioners is completed. ¹
• - Local elections are certified by local canvassing authorities, while state and congressional races are certified by the Secretary of State. ¹
• - Races for governor and lieutenant governor are certified by the House Speaker on January 12th. ¹