PREVIOUSLY
Beto versus Abbott
Beto versus the spread
Hidalgo versus Mealer
Better statewide races
Not as good statewide races
County races appear towards the bottom of the ballot, after all of the federal and state races. With the exception of County Judge, which is the first county office to appear, the other county races come after any county judicial elections, which we know in a non-presidential year is another two dozen, on top of all of the state judicial races you’ve just slogged through. In addition, unlike Presidential years when higher profile county offices like Sheriff and County Attorney and Tax Assessor appear (District Attorney is a state office), the ones on this ballot are low profile and mostly clerical in nature. You’d think this would be a recipe for a lot of indifference, but you’d be wrong.
District Clerk
Dist Daniel Burgess
======================
HD126 37,324 21,321
HD127 40,530 24,529
HD128 32,461 12,922
HD129 38,729 24,583
HD130 46,537 18,686
HD131 6,206 24,390
HD132 36,431 23,448
HD133 36,406 22,666
HD134 34,947 43,974
HD135 17,150 22,829
HD137 8,475 12,264
HD138 33,169 22,469
HD139 12,722 30,247
HD140 6,030 12,441
HD141 4,753 20,212
HD142 9,326 24,514
HD143 8,856 14,935
HD144 12,051 13,606
HD145 14,698 29,537
HD146 9,455 31,723
HD147 10,255 35,167
HD148 16,522 19,677
HD149 12,365 18,661
HD150 35,089 21,326
CC1 76,230 193,216
CC2 99,401 100,543
CC3 227,842 132,864
CC4 117,014 119,504
JP1 69,316 114,700
JP2 22,682 28,410
JP3 36,215 40,683
JP4 175,012 119,960
JP5 149,310 134,380
JP6 5,571 16,529
JP7 12,934 64,034
JP8 49,447 27,431
Dist Daniel% Burgess%
======================
HD126 63.64% 36.36%
HD127 62.30% 37.70%
HD128 71.53% 28.47%
HD129 61.17% 38.83%
HD130 71.35% 28.65%
HD131 20.28% 79.72%
HD132 60.84% 39.16%
HD133 61.63% 38.37%
HD134 44.28% 55.72%
HD135 42.90% 57.10%
HD137 40.87% 59.13%
HD138 59.62% 40.38%
HD139 29.61% 70.39%
HD140 32.65% 67.35%
HD141 19.04% 80.96%
HD142 27.56% 72.44%
HD143 37.22% 62.78%
HD144 46.97% 53.03%
HD145 33.23% 66.77%
HD146 22.96% 77.04%
HD147 22.58% 77.42%
HD148 45.64% 54.36%
HD149 39.85% 60.15%
HD150 62.20% 37.80%
CC1 28.29% 71.71%
CC2 49.71% 50.29%
CC3 63.17% 36.83%
CC4 49.47% 50.53%
JP1 37.67% 62.33%
JP2 44.39% 55.61%
JP3 47.09% 52.91%
JP4 59.33% 40.67%
JP5 52.63% 47.37%
JP6 25.21% 74.79%
JP7 16.80% 83.20%
JP8 64.32% 35.68%
County Clerk
Dist Stanart Hudspeth
======================
HD126 37,148 21,466
HD127 40,320 24,703
HD128 32,499 12,847
HD129 38,545 24,668
HD130 46,489 18,687
HD131 6,108 24,414
HD132 36,340 23,537
HD133 35,551 23,419
HD134 33,450 45,266
HD135 17,148 22,783
HD137 8,351 12,378
HD138 32,881 22,695
HD139 12,541 30,343
HD140 6,042 12,353
HD141 4,662 20,252
HD142 9,132 24,642
HD143 8,824 14,858
HD144 12,065 13,483
HD145 14,403 29,681
HD146 9,172 31,975
HD147 9,910 35,410
HD148 16,397 19,705
HD149 12,239 18,708
HD150 34,989 21,381
CC1 73,858 195,066
CC2 99,209 100,166
CC3 226,675 133,751
CC4 115,464 120,671
JP1 67,346 116,157
JP2 22,622 28,241
JP3 35,962 40,821
JP4 174,354 120,349
JP5 147,642 135,687
JP6 5,490 16,504
JP7 12,417 64,481
JP8 49,373 27,414
Dist Stanart%Hudspeth%
======================
HD126 63.38% 36.62%
HD127 62.01% 37.99%
HD128 71.67% 28.33%
HD129 60.98% 39.02%
HD130 71.33% 28.67%
HD131 20.01% 79.99%
HD132 60.69% 39.31%
HD133 60.29% 39.71%
HD134 42.49% 57.51%
HD135 42.94% 57.06%
HD137 40.29% 59.71%
HD138 59.16% 40.84%
HD139 29.24% 70.76%
HD140 32.85% 67.15%
HD141 18.71% 81.29%
HD142 27.04% 72.96%
HD143 37.26% 62.74%
HD144 47.22% 52.78%
HD145 32.67% 67.33%
HD146 22.29% 77.71%
HD147 21.87% 78.13%
HD148 45.42% 54.58%
HD149 39.55% 60.45%
HD150 62.07% 37.93%
CC1 27.46% 72.54%
CC2 49.76% 50.24%
CC3 62.89% 37.11%
CC4 48.90% 51.10%
JP1 36.70% 63.30%
JP2 44.48% 55.52%
JP3 46.84% 53.16%
JP4 59.16% 40.84%
JP5 52.11% 47.89%
JP6 24.96% 75.04%
JP7 16.15% 83.85%
JP8 64.30% 35.70%
County Treasurer
Dist Scott Wyatt
======================
HD126 37,264 21,436
HD127 40,378 24,663
HD128 32,433 12,955
HD129 38,523 24,788
HD130 46,578 18,647
HD131 6,062 24,496
HD132 36,413 23,479
HD133 35,705 23,303
HD134 33,479 45,200
HD135 17,156 22,790
HD137 8,369 12,377
HD138 32,829 22,780
HD139 12,576 30,341
HD140 5,929 12,518
HD141 4,682 20,256
HD142 9,167 24,621
HD143 8,706 15,000
HD144 11,924 13,703
HD145 14,410 29,702
HD146 9,159 31,995
HD147 10,015 35,364
HD148 16,333 19,766
HD149 12,214 18,772
HD150 35,168 21,262
CC1 74,077 194,887
CC2 98,597 101,176
CC3 227,110 133,538
CC4 115,688 120,613
JP1 67,326 116,212
JP2 22,460 28,561
JP3 35,972 40,808
JP4 174,785 120,166
JP5 147,814 135,680
JP6 5,410 16,643
JP7 12,496 64,441
JP8 49,209 27,703
Dist Scott% Wyatt%
======================
HD126 63.48% 36.52%
HD127 62.08% 37.92%
HD128 71.46% 28.54%
HD129 60.85% 39.15%
HD130 71.41% 28.59%
HD131 19.84% 80.16%
HD132 60.80% 39.20%
HD133 60.51% 39.49%
HD134 42.55% 57.45%
HD135 42.95% 57.05%
HD137 40.34% 59.66%
HD138 59.04% 40.96%
HD139 29.30% 70.70%
HD140 32.14% 67.86%
HD141 18.77% 81.23%
HD142 27.13% 72.87%
HD143 36.72% 63.28%
HD144 46.53% 53.47%
HD145 32.67% 67.33%
HD146 22.26% 77.74%
HD147 22.07% 77.93%
HD148 45.25% 54.75%
HD149 39.42% 60.58%
HD150 62.32% 37.68%
CC1 27.54% 72.46%
CC2 49.35% 50.65%
CC3 62.97% 37.03%
CC4 48.96% 51.04%
JP1 36.68% 63.32%
JP2 44.02% 55.98%
JP3 46.85% 53.15%
JP4 59.26% 40.74%
JP5 52.14% 47.86%
JP6 24.53% 75.47%
JP7 16.24% 83.76%
JP8 63.98% 36.02%
Despite appearing so much lower on the ballot, the per-district vote totals in these races are about the same for the two major parties. They’re lower overall because there are no third party candidates in these races, and that lack of mostly Libertarians does seem to be better for the Republicans than the Democrats. Not enough to swing any individual district – only the two swing Commissioners Court precincts are that close to begin with, and the Dems prevailed in all three races here anyway.
The simple fact is that despite the lack of straight-ticket voting, and the often-complained-about length of the ballot, people voted to the bottom of it anyway. There were more people who skipped these races than did so for Railroad Commissioner, the last of the statewide executive offices, but not that much more. About 40K people on average skipped these three races, compared with a bit less than 23K for RRC. That looks like a significant difference, but it’s still less than four percent of the total turnout. Putting it another way, more than 96% of the people who cast a ballot in November of 2022 cast a ballot in these three races.
That is slightly less than it was in 2018, the last year of straight ticket voting, when nearly 97% of the people who voted cast ballots in these races, plus the two countywide HCDE races; to put it another way, the undervote rate in these races was generally between 2.5 and 3 percent. Some people will skip races that are not of interest to them, I will absolutely stipulate to that. I’m just saying it’s not as much as you might think.
Two more things: One is that the undervote rate was higher in judicial races. I’ll go into more detail on those in subsequent posts, but even there it topped out at about five percent. I’m here to tell you, because I’ve looked at this before, the undervote rate in City Council races is much higher than that, and that’s a much shorter ballot. The other thing, and this may be my favorite bit of data from this election, is that there were about 800 more votes in the Treasurer race than there were in the County Clerk race, which was immediately before the Treasurer’s race on the ballot. Carla Wyatt, the Treasurer-elect, won more than 60% of those 800+ extra votes. Why did those eight hundred and some people vote in the Treasurer’s race but not the County Clerk’s race? I have no idea. But they did, and finding little oddities like that always delights me. I hope it at least amuses you. Let me know if you have any questions.
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