Early voting begins in Texas

HOUSTON - Voters went to the polls in the US state of Texas on Monday for early voting in the US presidential election.

An all-time record of 13.64 million Texans have registered to vote this year, according to media reports.

When it comes to the races for president and US senator, polling shows that Republicans Mitt Romney and Ted Cruz are heavily favored to win in Texas, a reliable Republican stronghold in presidential elections since the mid-1970s.

But in hundreds of other races, a handful of voters could decide some important contests.

Hispanics are the fastest growing ethnic group in Texas. Democrats want to hold on to their advantage among Hispanic voters, as Republican leaders also have made recruiting Hispanics a top priority.

The early voting will run through Nov 2.