Lubbock County voters didn’t wait for Election Day this year. When early voting ended Friday, Oct. 30, 80,977 people had voted early, according to Lubbock County Elections Administrator Troy Havard. That’s well above the county’s 2018 midterm early vote of 66,370, the highest midterm figure in county comparisons going back to 2006, according to the Lubbock Chronicle.
That’s a big jump from the pace we reported going into the final week. Today, Tuesday, Nov. 3, is Election Day, and then comes the counting. Here’s what the early numbers show and how and when results will come in tonight.
By the numbers
- 80,977 final early votes, according to Troy Havard, CERA, Elections Administrator, Lubbock County. "The final turnout number for EV is 80,977," Havard said in an email Oct. 31.
- State data compiled by Transparency USA shows 82,809 early ballots, 80,883 in person and 1,926 by mail. The county did not say whether its count includes mail ballots.
- About 39% of the county’s 205,074 registered voters had already voted, based on the county’s count.
- 8,826 in-person votes on Monday, Oct. 19, the busiest day, and 8,604 on the final Friday.
- 66,370 early votes in the 2018 midterm and 56,897 in 2022, per the Lubbock Chronicle.
Older voters drove much of the early vote. Transparency USA’s breakdown shows about 58% of registered voters 65 and older cast an early ballot, along with about 54% of those 55 to 64. That compares with about 27% of voters 18 to 24 and 25% of those 25 to 34.
If you still need to vote
Polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. today. Lubbock County uses vote centers, so registered county voters can vote at any of the 36 open centers. Bring an approved photo ID. Our Election Day guide lists every vote center and the ID rules, and you can check your sample ballot at votelubbock.gov. Under state law, if you’re in line by 7 p.m., you can still vote, so stay in line.
Besides the statewide and county races, some voters will also see local items. According to election notices posted by the county, Lubbock-Cooper ISD has a voter-approval tax rate election (here’s our Prop A explainer), and Lorenzo ISD has a bond election and a VATRE. Your sample ballot shows what you’ll get.
How the count works tonight
The county’s Central Counting Station is at the Elections Office, 1308 Crickets Ave. According to the county’s posted counting plan, here’s how Election Day plays out:
- 9 a.m.: The central counting station convenes and starts processing early in-person ballots. Per the plan, no totals will be tabulated or released before 7 p.m.
- After 7 p.m.: Once polls close, unofficial results are released to the media and public as soon as they’re available. The early-voting results include mail ballots that have been received and accepted.
- Through the night: Election judges bring sealed scanners and ballots from each vote center to an intake station at 1302 Crickets Ave. Seals are checked, and the data drives are taken to the tabulation room and added to the totals. Results update as vote centers report.
- Friday, Nov. 13, 9 a.m.: The counting station meets again to count late-arriving mail ballots and provisional ballots.
All of tonight’s numbers are unofficial. Results become official only after the canvass.
Watch it happen
The county livestreams the areas where voted ballots are kept. Its livestream page has cameras inside the tabulation room and the elections warehouse, and the county’s plan says the intake camera goes live after noon on Election Day. Party poll watchers can also observe in person. The plan allows five in the tabulation room at a time, rotating so watchers from different sides get equal time.
When to expect results
Havard, the county’s new elections administrator, explained the timing in an email Oct. 31. "By law, we cannot release any results until after polls close on Election Night. The polls close at 7PM but if there are still voters voting, we must wait until after the last voter has voted," Havard said.
"We will post the first numbers as soon after the last voter has voted as possible – that will consist of Absentee and Early Voting in-person. The next release will be the final results after all locations’ equipment has returned to our office. I expect that to be around 9.30 or 10PM, but will depend entirely upon how long it takes the Judges to get their equipment back to our office," he said.
Results will be posted at votelubbock.gov, which links to the county’s results site.
Sources
- Troy Havard, CERA, Elections Administrator, Lubbock County, email to Hub City UnCovered (Oct. 31, 2026)
- Lubbock County Elections Office (votelubbock.gov): https://votelubbock.gov/
- Lubbock County Elections, Central Counting Station Plan, Nov. 3, 2026 (PDF): https://votelubbock.gov/wp-content/uploads/Lubbock-Central-Counting-Station-Plan-11.03.2026.pdf
- Lubbock County Elections, Election live stream: https://votelubbock.gov/live-stream/
- Transparency USA, 2026 General Election turnout, Lubbock County: https://turnout.transparencyusa.org/2026-general/county/lubbock/
- Lubbock Chronicle, Lubbock County early voting tops 72,000, passes 2018 total: https://www.lubbockchronicle.com/p/lubbock-county-early-voting-tops-72000-passes-2018-total
- KCBD, Lubbock County sets early voting record for midterm election (video, Oct. 30, 2026): https://www.kcbd.com/video/2026/10/30/lubbock-county-sets-early-voting-record-midterm-election/
- Lubbock County Elections, Order of VATRE, Lubbock-Cooper ISD (PDF): https://votelubbock.gov/wp-content/uploads/LCISD-2026-VATRE-Notice-of-Election.pdf
- Texas Election Code, Sec. 41.032, Voting After Polls Close: https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/EL/htm/EL.41.htm
- Featured photo: “A closeup of an ‘I Voted’ sticker on a shirt” (Aitkin County, Minn., April 2026) by Lorie Shaull, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed CC BY 4.0.
