Runoff turnout drops 69% in Texas
On Saturday, Texas held delayed runoffs for two special elections – one U.S. House seat and one state Senate seat. As with most runoff elections, turnout dropped dramatically in both contests, with turnout for the TX-18 U.S. House runoff falling 69%. Both election winners received fewer votes in the runoff than the general election – effectively defeating the purpose of the runoff.
Ranked choice voting (RCV) is a common-sense reform that offers an “instant runoff” – delivering a majority winner in a single election when turnout is highest, saving the cost and effort of a second election.
Turnout decline in Texas runoffs, January 31, 2026
| Office | Votes in special election | Votes in special election runoff* | Decline in turnout |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Representative, District 18 | 76,189 | 23,652 | 69% |
| State Senator, District 9 | 118,912 | 94,880 | 20% |
Special election runoffs may have particularly low turnout because they’re often scheduled on days without other elections that attract voters. However, low turnout and high costs are a staple of runoffs – whether they’re special elections or regularly scheduled.
According to a 2024 report, Texas spent over $5 million on congressional primary runoffs in 2024, and has seen a 49% median turnout decline in these runoffs dating back to 1994.
The 9th Texas Senate District, in the Fort Worth area, featured a showdown between Democrat Taylor Rehmet and Republican Leigh Wambsganss, who both advanced from a three-candidate general election field that included one other Republican.
Rehmet won by 14 points, expanding his 12-point lead from the first round and flipping the seat for Democrats after decades of Republican control. These same candidates will compete again in the regular election for the seat later this year, with primaries in March.
In the Houston-area 18th Congressional District, voters chose between two Democrats who were separated by only three percentage points in the general election – former Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee and former Houston City Councilor Amanda Edwards. Menefee prevailed in the runoff, but earned only about half as many votes as he did in the general election.
Ranked choice voting is a proven solution to runoff elections. With RCV, voters have the option to rank candidates in order of preference. If there is no majority winner among voters’ first choices, an “instant runoff” is conducted. Voters do not have to return to the polls several weeks later; instead, each voter’s ballot simply counts for whichever finalist candidate they ranked highest.
Military and overseas voters in six other Southern states – Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina – already use RCV in case of runoff elections, so they don’t have to vote twice. That convenience should be extended to all voters. RCV can keep turnout higher by only asking voters to vote once, and removes the burden on election officials of holding multiple elections in quick succession.
Instant Runoff Voting for Texas is leading efforts to bring RCV to the Lone Star State. Visit their website to learn more.