More than 45,000 Austin voters have cast a ballot in early voting ahead of Election Day.
The biggest draw for Austin voters is Proposition Q, a proposed tax rate increase that aims to raise $110 million for public safety and social services.
As of Monday morning, 45,157 people cast a ballot during early voting, with nearly all of those residents voting in person. That surpassed all early votes in 2023, when Austin voters decided the fate of two dueling propositions on police oversight. Just over 39,000 voters cast a ballot before Election Day that year.
Much of this year's early voting has taken place at polling sites west of I-35, with four locations accounting for nearly a third of all votes. More than 4,200 people voted at Ben Hur Shrine Center in Northwest Austin, which led polling locations in the first week of early voting. The Balcones Woods Shopping Center, the Randall's at Brodie Lane and the Austin Oaks Church rounded out the top four locations, respectively.
Proposition Q has been a lightning rod in what would typically be a sleepy off-year election cycle. Voters seldom come out in droves for city ballot measures, but the potential for a property tax increase — and the increased scrutiny over the city of Austin's spending — have seemingly pushed voters to the polls.
While the measure has drawn out more voters than the last round citywide propositions in 2023, it, so far, pales in comparison to 2021's vote over homelessness ordinances. More than 101,000 residents voted early to reinstate penalties for sleeping and camping outdoors in that election.
Early voting runs though this week. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Election Day is Nov. 4.
