Hunt County Republicans rushed Monday to cast early ballots ahead of the May 27 runoff elections.
Far fewer local Democrats turned out at the Hunt County Voter Administration Building for the first day of early voting.
Hunt County Elections Administrator Mina Cook said 259 people voted in person Monday for the GOP primary runoff, with 747 mail-in ballots received.
The 1,006 early votes from Republicans compare to the 31 total ballots — five in person and 26 by mail — submitted by Democrats Monday.
Early voting will continue between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily through Friday at the Hunt County Voter Administration Office, 2217 Washington Street.
Incumbent U.S. Representative Ralph Hall of Rockwall is facing John Ratcliffe of Rockwall in the GOP runoff, while incumbent State Senator for District 2 Bob Deuell of Greenville is facing Bob Hall of Canton.
The Republican runoff election will also feature a contest for Attorney General between Ken Paxton and Dan Branch, for Lieutenant Governor between Dan Patrick and David Dewhurst, for Commissioner of Agriculture between Tommy Merritt and Sid Miller and for Railroad Commissioner between Wayne Christian and Ryan Sutton.
The Democratic Party runoff election ballot will feature a matchup for United States Senator between David M. Alameel and Kesha Rogers and for Agriculture Commissioner between Jim Hogan and Richard “Kinky” Friedman.
Under the rules of a runoff election, voters who participated in the Republican primary cannot vote in the Democratic Party runoff and voters who cast ballots in the Democratic Party primary cannot participate in the GOP runoff. Registered voters who did not vote in either primary are eligible to vote in either the Democratic or Republican party primaries.