BELL COUNTY, Texas (KXXV) — Bell County neighbors turned out in record numbers for the 2026 midterm election, making it the third-largest election in the county's history.
More than 100,000 voters cast their ballots in the county, according to the elections office.
"Between early voting and election night, this was our third-largest election in Bell County history behind only the 2024 and 2020, uh, general elections. Those were both presidential elections," James Stafford, with the elections office, said.
Voters experienced long wait times at the polls Tuesday as more people got in line as night fell, with the last voter of the evening getting checked in after 8:30 p.m.
"At about 5:30, we had lines at, uh, 13, 15, 16 of our locations all out of nowhere. I think people got off work and, and, and jumped in line and we had people voting well past the, the 7 o'clock uh close time," Stafford said.
Stafford told me the importance of voting was pushed on both sides of the political spectrum this election season.
"Both parties did a great job of, of. Communicating to people the importance of them going out and voting and, and obviously Bell County residents heard that message um I hope it means that we can expect big participation like this in all the future um elections because it's we just wanna know that people are having their voice heard," Stafford said.
The influx in numbers also brought hard work for the people behind the curtain, which Stafford explained was a full day.
"In the elections office yesterday, they had people who were there from 5 a.m. to after 2 a.m. They've been pulling hours like that for weeks and And it's, it's for, it's, it's out of love for, for Bell County and, and, and, uh, commitment to seeing people get to cast their, their votes," Stafford said.
Stafford went on to thank all 600 election workers for helping all voting operations run smoothly.
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