Signs direct voters to the polling location inside Houston City College during the last day of early voting on Friday, Feb. 27, 2026, in Houston.

Credit: Texas Tribune / Annie Mulligan Multiple counties are reporting record-breaking turnout on Day 1 of early voting, offering fresh tea leaves for election watchers to analyze in the U.S. Senate race between Republican Ken Paxton and Democrat James Talarico.

Sign up Harris County, the state's largest and a blue-leaning cache of votes, set its record for turnout for the first day of voting in a midterm.