STATEWIDE -- Early voting kicks off Tuesday morning with Republicans and Democrats across the country watching turnout in Texas.

Both parties say this is an election year like they haven't seen in decades. In some races, there are more than a dozen candidates.

"Texas is right now the nation's bellwether," said  Tariq Thowfeek of the Texas Democratic Party. "We are the fastest growing state. We are increasingly diverse; we are a young state."

Democrats say they haven't had this many candidates in 25 years. This is the country's first primary of 2018. As a result, party leaders say all eyes will be watching to see voters reacting to the past year of politics.

"It's really important for Republican voters to show how excited, how motivated they are," said James Dickey of the Republican Party of Texas.

Early voting runs through March 2nd; Election Day is March 6th. Several races could result in a runoff, which will be May 22nd. To find your polling place and view your ballot, click here.