Across Texas, hundreds of thousands of people are casting votes Tuesday for dozens of races, including the White House, Senate, Congress and the state Board of Education. Here's what they're saying about why they cast their votes:
— "The economy is part of it. But people keep saying Obama has ruined the economy. Well, look at the world. I mean the whole world is in a recession and I don't know why people think the United States isn't going to be affected." — Betty Blanton, 60, a college administrator at Texas Tech in Lubbock who voted for Obama.
— "The economy, it's a mess right now and we need to fix it. After four years it's time to give someone else a chance to see if they can make a difference. I worried, there are no jobs available. I have two kids in college and one in high school. Once they're done, what's next?" — Liz Seale, 43, a stay-at-home in El Paso who voted for Romney.
— "I'm behind (the tea party) 100 percent. Anything that can bring us back to what this country was meant to be, I'm in favor of it. I'm not a Republican. I'm not a Democrat. I'm a conservative. And that's how I base everything." — Harold Paulk, 64, a Lubbock pipeline technician who voted for Ted Cruz.
— "It's (the tea party) just such a knee-jerk reaction. And what it's created is a lot of people to follow something they don't even know they're following. They're following an ideal that if they were to sit down and repeat it themselves, they'd be horrified that they were voting for these people." — Celeste Yoshinoba, 49, an academic adviser at Texas Tech University who voted for Paul Sadler.
— "Really awesome. I'm looking forward to many years of doing it and, hopefully, looking closer at every candidate." — Teja Akella, 27, a native of India who became a U.S. citizen in 2009 and voted for the first time.
— "I just think the Democrats need to be out." — Chris Pigg, 56, a car salesman from League City who voted for Republican Randy Weber over Nick Lampson in the race to replace Republican U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, the former presidential candidate who is retiring.
— "If you don't vote for Obama, you are no longer my granddaughter. Do what you can to vote. Your vote counts." Estela Valdez, 76, a retiree from El Paso, relaying the conversation she had with her granddaughter.
— "Obama wants to give things away for free to people who are lazy. Let me tell you, nothing is free. If you start giving away things for free, that means anarchy. That means Europe." — Ercilio Costa, 68, of El Paso, who voted a straight Republican ticket.
— "I think he's doing a good job getting us out of the hole that the previous administration had gotten us into. He's addressing it slow and steady. I trust the government to take care of us. I don't trust the Republican Party to take care of people." — Alicia Perez, 31, a Houston immigration attorney who voted for Obama.
— "This is the most important election of my lifetime. The country is in dangerous waters and there's no leadership in the White House." — Steve Cotton, 56, a financial planner who voted a straight Republican ticket.
— "I found a lucky penny. Maybe it means who I voted for will win." Christy Bell, who voted in the Dallas suburb of Farmers Branch but declined to reveal any of her choices.
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