HOUSTON – Day two of early voting in Texas showed no signs of slowing down after a record-smashing first day Monday.

Harris County reported 55,814 people had early voted as of 4 p.m. Tuesday, more than the second day of early voting in 2008 and 2012.

Long lines at the Sugar Land branch of the Fort Bend County Library had some people leaving, but vowing to come back.

"It's an important election; everybody's trying to get out and vote," said Tim Pearce of Sugar Land.

Many said the competitive race for U.S. Senate between Senator Ted Cruz and Congressman Beto O'Rourke was the primary factor motivating them the polls early.

"Republicans have pretty much dominated state politics for the past 20 years and now Democrats are starting to run competitive candidates in places where they hadn't had candidates period, so that competition is definitely pulling out voters all across the state," said Brandon Rottinghaus, a professor of political science at the University of Houston.

It remains to be seen whether the record early voting numbers will lead to a blue wave or a red tide.

Early voting ends Nov. 2.