Maverick County’s Low Voter Turnout Raises Stakes Ahead of November 3 General Election

By Jose G. Landa, Copyright 2026 Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc.

As Maverick County prepares for the November 3, 2026 general election, turnout figures from the previous gubernatorial election show how much of the community’s voting strength went unused.

In November 2022, Maverick County had 34,073 registered voters, but only 9,583 participated, according to the Texas Secretary of State. Its turnout rate of 28.12 percent ranked lowest among Maverick, Val Verde, Uvalde, Dimmit and Zavala counties.

Maverick had the largest number of registered voters among the five counties and recorded the most voters participating.

However, fewer than three of every 10 registered voters cast a ballot.

Uvalde County led the comparison with a turnout rate of 45.50 percent, with 7,946 of its 17,462 registered voters participating. Dimmit County followed at 41.19 percent, with 2,876 voters out of 6,982 registered.

Val Verde County recorded 32.40 percent turnout, with 9,509 of its 29,351 registered voters participating. Zavala County followed at 31.34 percent, with 2,450 voters out of 7,817 registered.

For Maverick County, those figures meant 24,490 registered voters did not participate in the 2022 general election. Its turnout rate trailed Uvalde County by 17.38 percentage points.

Had Maverick matched Uvalde’s participation rate, approximately 5,920 additional voters would have cast ballots, based on Maverick’s registration total that year.

That calculation does not establish whether any race would have changed, but it illustrates the number of additional voices the county could have contributed.

The effects of low participation extend beyond local elections.

In statewide races, ballots cast in Maverick County contribute to the same statewide totals as ballots cast in larger communities.

Those votes help determine who holds offices responsible for decisions affecting public education, healthcare, transportation and other services.

In federal elections, residents help choose the officials who represent them in Congress.

Congressional decisions affect border policy, federal spending and programs serving communities throughout the region.

For congressional and state legislative races, Maverick County voters contribute to election totals within their respective districts.

Lower participation means fewer county residents take part in selecting those representatives, while voters elsewhere in the district continue contributing to the outcome.

Additional turnout does not guarantee victory for any candidate or political party.

Its effect depends on how those voters cast their ballots and the margin separating candidates.

The county’s low participation also appeared in the 2020 presidential election. Maverick recorded 46.41 percent turnout, compared with Uvalde’s 59.26 percent, Zavala’s 54.29 percent, Dimmit’s 49.94 percent and Val Verde’s 49.84 percent. Maverick again ranked lowest among the five counties.

These historical figures do not predict turnout in the upcoming election or explain why individual residents did not vote. They do show a participation gap between Maverick County and neighboring communities in two general elections.

As residents consider issues affecting their families, schools and livelihoods, the upcoming election provides another opportunity to help choose the officials making those decisions.

How much of Maverick County’s voting strength counts will depend on how many registered voters participate.