Voter turnout low in the Valley as Republican early votes grow

Hidalgo and Cameron counties combined for over 58,000 ballots cast during early voting but were still behind the numbers in the last presidential primaries with both counties experiencing a decrease in Democratic votes and an increase in Republican votes.

Hidalgo County had a total of 39,822 ballots cast with Cameron County having 19,078 ballots cast during early voting.

Both combined for a total of 58,900 ballots.

In early voting for the 2020 presidential primaries, both counties combined for a total of 76,654 ballots cast during early voting, a difference of 17,754 between the early voting cycles.

In Hidalgo County, there were 29,880 ballots cast for the Democratic Party and 9,942 for the Republican Party in 2024 early voting.

In early voting for 2020, Hidalgo County had a total of 53,373 ballots cast with 46,293 Democratic votes, 16,413 more than in 2024 and 7,380 Republican votes, 2,562 fewer than in 2024.

Hidalgo County Democratic Party Chair Richard Gonzalez attributes the lower voter turnout to the small number of contested races, voter apathy and lack of campaigning.

“I’m not worried about it, we still had a pretty good showing but I’d like to see more but I think we’re going to be OK moving forward getting ready for November,” Gonzalez said.

On the other side of the political spectrum, Hidalgo County Republican Party chair Adrienne Pena-Garza said she thinks the increase in the Republican vote is an indicator for the lack of enthusiasm for President Joe Biden and Republican candidates being very active locally helping to turn out the vote.

San Benito citizens cast their ballots during early voting Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024, at the San Benito Community Center. (Miguel Roberts/The Brownsville Herald)

“There’s this liberty movement where people no longer feel attached to a party, like the party of JFK and the party of MLK is no longer,” Pena-Garza said. “Now you have both parties that have to work for the vote … I’m seeing a turnout because they’re putting in the work themselves, they’re knocking on the doors and making phone calls.”

For early voting in 2024 for Cameron County, there were 11,107 Democratic ballots cast with 7,971 Republican ballots.

Compared to the early voting for the 2020 presidential primaries, the county had 18,942 Democratic Party votes which is a decrease of 7,835 in 2024. For the Republican Party in the county, it nearly doubled its votes from 4,339 ballots cast in 2020 to an increase of 3,632 in 2024.

Cameron County Democratic Party Chair Jared Hockema said turnout across the Valley and Texas for the party is low due to the lack of contested higher profile positions.

“In our case, we don’t have a contested primary for state senator, for US Congress, for many of our county wide offices,” Hockema said. “So, of course, the less things you have on the ballot, the less draw it is for the voters.”

Cameron County Republican Party Chair Morgan Graham-Cisneros wasn’t immediately available for comment.

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