More Texans have cast early ballots than voted in the entire 2016 general election, making the presidential battleground state the first to hit that mark this year
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As of Friday morning, more than 9 million people had cast ballots early in the state, according to data from local election officials posted on the Texas Secretary of State's website. The total turnout in 2016 was about 8,970,000, according to the Associated Press. With four days left until Election Day, at least 44 states and the District of Columbia have already surpassed the level of early voting they saw four years agoNationwide, more than 80 million people have already voted, a number far greater than four years ago when 58.8 million people cast early or mail-in ballots.
Texas, with its 38 Electoral College votes, has long been a Republican stronghold but several polls there have shown a tight race between former Vice President Joe Biden and President Trump. The RealClearPolitics polling average in the state showed Mr. Trump with an edge of 48% to 45.7% over Mr. Biden.
Democrats have poured millions of dollars into television advertising in the state, and California Sen. Kamala Harris, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, is traveling there today, making campaign stops in Ft. Worth, Houston and McAllen.
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