Early voting kicked off in Denton County Oct. 19, and 197,201 residents cast their ballots in person or by mail by the end of the day Oct. 25, according to data from the Texas Secretary of State's website. 

The breakdown: Those 197,201 ballots translate to over 28% of registered voters, an 8% increase from the first week of early voting in 2022, the last midterm election, according to the SOS's website. The total number of voters during the same timespan in 2022 was 116,552, or 20.49%.

There are 688,032 registered voters in Denton County this year. 191,483 residents voted in person and 5,718 voted by mail by the end of the day Oct. 25, state data shows. 

Stay tuned:Community Impact will continue to cover local elections through election night Nov. 3. Visit communityimpact.com/election for the latest local election results.

Burnout Vintage, an antique store specializing in collectables and vintage goods, opened in a pop-up location in late October.

What’s happening? Burnout Vintage was started by Rachel and Andrew O’Brien as an extension of their personal vintage collection. The couple has been together for more than 15 years and decided to turn their passion for collecting vintage items into a business.

“We want to help our customers find affordable and unique pieces and give them a second life in their homes,” Rachel O’Brien said.

The store offers a variety of antique and vintage items, such as glassware, home decor, kitchen goods and rotating weekly vintage inventory.

Looking ahead: Rachel O’Brien said Burnout Vintage is currently sharing a space with Rowdy Return, a sustainable living and secondhand retail shop, in its temporary location.

She said Burnout Vintage will move to a larger space at the beginning of 2027.

• 216 W. Mulberry St., Ste. 106, Denton

See five transportation projects around Dallas-Fort Worth.

Upcoming projects

1. Loop 288 frontage road construction

Project: The Texas Department of Transportation is planning to construct frontage roads on Loop 288 in Denton County with grade separations and an improved connector to US 380. The project would span from I-35 to US 380 east of Geesling Road.

Update: TxDOT has yet to raise the necessary funds for the recently announced billion-dollar cost. TxDOT is still working with Denton County and the contracting firm to finalize schematics and plan the project’s timeline.

• Timeline: finalized schematic expected December 2026

• Cost: $1.3 billion

• Funding sources: TxDOT, Denton County

2. US 81 improvements

Project: TxDOT and the city of Fort Worth will reconstruct frontage roads and make intersection improvements along US 81 from I-35W to Harmon Road.

Update: Fort Worth City Council approved an advance funding agreement with TxDOT for $3.75 million for water main relocation as part of the project at a Sept. 29 meeting.

• Timeline: estimated completion January 2028

• Cost: $75.9 million

• Funding sources: TxDOT, city of Fort Worth

North Texans report greater affordability pressures, less neighborhood connectedness and unease about artificial intelligence in a new quality-of-life survey from the University of Texas at Dallas.

The overview: Researchers from the university’s School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences presented results from the 2026 William C. Short Quality of Life Survey on Oct. 21. They have conducted the survey annually since 2024 to identify issues important to North Texans and bring community members together, said Jennifer Holmes, dean of the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences.

A closer look: Respondents identified inflation and prices and housing affordability and availability as the most important issues currently facing their communities.

Quote of note: “The challenge we face as a region is we need faster, more accurate, more accessible data,” project director Timothy Bray said. “We begin by listening to North Texas, asking the folks who live in our communities what they think.”