Will an early vote be a wasted vote in Texas?

Across Texas, early voting starts Tuesday morning. The latest poll from the University of Texas and Texas Tribune shows Senator Bernie Sanders is the current front runner. Former Vice President Joe Biden is in second place, followed by Senator Elizabeth Warren and then Mike Bloomberg. But as polling locations prepare to open, some experts think an early vote could be a wasted vote.

A record number of Texas voters registered to help pick the next President of the United States. But now they're faced with the unusual predicament of possibly wasting their votes.

The problem is timing. The ballot for the Democratic Party Primary Election lists 17 presidential candidates. But about half of them have already dropped out of the race and more are expected to call it quits before Super Tuesday on March 3rd. The biggest changes are expected after the Nevada Primary on February 22nd and the South Carolina Primary on February 29th. The situation has some experts advising that the smart choice is to wait for Super Tuesday and vote for someone who is still running.

“There is something to be said about waiting,” said Brian Smith, a professor of Political Science at St. Edward’s University.

“If you cast your vote early for one of the many, many candidates who are on the ballot but have basically suspended their campaign, then that in essence is a wasted vote,” said Smith.

But voters who wait now could also be waiting on Super Tuesday. A record number of registered voters in Travis and Williamson Counties are raising concerns that voters will face long lines on March 3rd.

“So early voting offers the convenience, but it also offers that challenge where you might be voting for someone who is no longer campaigning,” said Smith.

Some democratic voters say the ease of early voting has them willing to take the risk.

“The candidate I was going to go for is not going to get eliminated,” said Nika Darab, a registered voter.

Republicans are even more confident.

“I don't think Trump is going to bow out,” laughed Dixie Clanton.

Voters have time to decide when they want to cast their primary ballots. Early voting starts on Tuesday and runs through February 28th.