By Will Weissert and Paul J. Weber
Texans have already cast more ballots in the presidential election than they did during all of 2016, an unprecedented surge of early voting in a state that was once the country's most reliably Republican, but may now be drifting toward battleground status.
More than 9 million ballots have been cast as of Friday morning in the nation's second most-populous state, exceeding the 8,969,226 cast in 2016, according to an Associated Press tally of early votes from data provided by Texas officials.
Texas is the first state to hit the milestone. This year's numbers were aided by Democratic activists challenging in court for, and winning, the right to extend early voting by one week amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Texas also offers only limited vote-by-mail options when compared to the rest of the country, meaning casting in-person, early ballots is the primary way to vote for people who don't want to line up and do so on Election Day.
Voters in Texas do not register by party affiliation, meaning no one can be sure until the ballots are counted whether one party or the other will benefit from the surge in turnout.
More Covid-era benefits are ending.
The Supreme Court justices are taking the bench for the first time since June in a new session.
President Joe Biden signed a spending bill late Saturday night after a last-ditch bipartisan deal to avoid a government shutdown.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Laphonza Butler, president of EMILY's List, to succeed Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who passed away last week.
Former President Donald Trump denounced the civil fraud case over his business practices as a politically motivated “scam” as he arrived defiantly for a trial in the lawsuit, which could cost him control of Trump Tower and other prized properties.
Memorial services for California Sen. Dianne Feinstein are now set.
Stocks fell to open the new week and a new month despite a bipartisan deal at the 11th hour to avoid a government shutdown.
McCarthy passed a temporary spending bill with Democratic support, enraging Gaetz and other far-right members whose demands for spending cuts were a nonstarter with the Senate and President Joe Biden.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom fulfilled his pledge to appoint a Black woman if Dianne Feinstein’s seat became open. The long-serving Democratic senator died Thursday after a series of illnesses.
Police seized computers and cellphones during searches of the Marion County Record's office and the home of its publisher in August.
