Daily Dispatch 10.23.24: Texans Voting Early In Record Numbers, And More

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Texas officially set a new all-time turnout record for the first day of early voting on Monday: https://www.khou.com/article/news/politics/elections/texas-early-voting-record-set/285-8314514c-859a-48bb-9311-08d7a591bd6f ...It's due both to massive population growth, and rates of voter registration that outpace that growth: https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/4947150-texas-early-voting-turnout-record/ ...Despite a viral video that has stoked right-wing paranoia, election officials in North Texas report no significant glitches with voting machines: https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/verify/no-votes-for-donald-trump-not-being-marked-as-votes-for-kamala-harris-in-white-settlement-texas/287-d50739d4-bf37-4c9c-86dc-552357c98ef3 Despite his own admission that non-citizen voting is extremely rare, Ken Paxton has sued the Biden administration for insufficiently helping to verify the citizenship of registered voters: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/10/22/texas-voter-verification-lawsuit-paxton/ ...Perhaps bending to pressure from Paxton, Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson has gone along with the non-citizen voting hysteria, just two days after proclaiming Texas' readiness for the election: https://x.com/josephtrimmer_/status/1848901113501688154?s=46 Both Presidential candidates will be in Texas - the first time in 30 years this close to the election - with Kamala Harris hosting a rally in Houston on Friday afternoon: https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2024/10/22/kamala-harris-visit-to-texas-a-sign-of-shifting-political-battlegrounds/ ...Link to RSVP for the Harris rally: https://events.democrats.org/event/732872/ ...And Donald Trump will be in Austin on Friday, to appear on Joe Rogan's podcast: https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/both-presidential-candidates-to-visit-texas-friday-as-election-day-looms ...While VP hopeful and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz will join an online roundtable on cannabis legalization hosted by Willie Nelson on Thursday night at 6: https://deadline.com/2024/10/willie-nelson-cannabis-community-call-support-kamala-harris-1236120922/ ...Link to join Willie's party: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_VC7_s84vSzC5mJp5QjTULA#/registration Texas Supreme Court justice John Devine has drawn fresh scrutiny over his management of a family friend's estate, conflicting with ethics rules: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/10/22/texas-supreme-court-john-devine-elvie-kingston-trust/ Progress Texas has announced our endorsements for the 2024 election! See a full rundown here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://progresstexas.org/blog/progress-texas%E2%80%99-november-general-election-endorsements⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ...And a podcast on WHY we've chosen to back these great candidates: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://progresstexas.org/podcast/happy-hour-174-our-2024-candidate-endorsements⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Our annual holiday fundraising parties approach! We'll be gathering both in Dallas and Austin this December, and there are sponsorship opportunities available: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://act.progresstexas.org/a/progress-texas-holiday-parties-2024⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ See Progress Texas' analysis of Project 2025, and what it will mean for Texas should it be enacted: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://progresstexas.org/blog/project-2025-vs-progress-2025⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ...And a complete guide to Project 2025 from Media Matters: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.mediamatters.org/heritage-foundation/guide-project-2025-extreme-right-wing-agenda-next-republican-administration⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Thanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work this election year at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://progresstexas.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.