Austin’s primary runoff elections are set for Tuesday, May 26, with early voting commencing on Monday, May 18, and continuing through May 22. This election will determine the outcomes of races from the March primary where no candidate received over 50% of the votes. While the ballots for both parties in Travis County are relatively brief, several important local and state-level contests are on the horizon.
The primary runoff elections will include a significant local race for the Travis County Commissioner Precinct 4 seat. The candidates vying for this position are George Morales, a former Travis County Constable, and Susanna Ledesma-Woody, a trustee on the Del Valle ISD school board. The victor will become the first new commissioner for the precinct in over three decades, representing a substantial area of South and Southeast Travis County. Voters can check their precinct using an online map.
The commissioners court, comprised of five commissioners and one judge, oversees a budget of approximately $2.2 billion, which funds essential services such as the jail, parks, roads, healthcare, housing, and affordable childcare.
Democratic voters will also participate in primaries for various state offices, including the attorney general, lieutenant governor, a member of the state board of education, and the Texas House District 49 representative, which encompasses parts of north and south Austin between MoPac and I-35.
On the Republican side, voters will choose their candidate for the U.S. Senate race between Ken Paxton and John Cornyn, with the winner set to face James Talarico in the November election. Additionally, Republicans will decide on a candidate for Texas’ 37th Congressional District, formerly held by Rep. Lloyd Doggett, who retired following redistricting. The Republican candidates are Ge’Nell Gary and Lauren B. Peña, who will compete against Democratic Congressman Greg Casar in November.
Republican voters also have three state offices on their ballot, including the attorney general, a judge for the Criminal Court of Appeals, and railroad commissioner, a position that has no direct ties to railroads. Sample ballots for both parties are accessible online.
To verify your voter registration status, visit the Texas Secretary of State’s My Voter Portal. The registration deadline for this election has already passed, but individuals can register for future elections through the Vote Texas website.
Early voting in Travis County runs from May 18 to May 22, with Election Day scheduled for Tuesday, May 26. Residents can vote at any polling location within the county. Polling places will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day, and as long as individuals are in line by closing time, they will be allowed to cast their vote.
Voters should remember to bring a valid photo ID to the polls, which must be current or expired within the last four years. Voters aged 70 and over can present an ID that has expired for any duration. Accepted forms of ID include:
- Texas driver’s license
- Texas election identification certificate
- Texas personal identification card
- Texas handgun license
- U.S. military identification card with a photograph
- U.S. citizenship certificate with a photograph
- U.S. passport
If obtaining an ID is problematic, alternative documents include government documents displaying your name and address, such as a voter registration certificate, a current utility bill, a bank statement, a government check, a paycheck, or a birth certificate. These documents can be presented as either copies or originals; however, voters will need to sign a form attesting to their reasonable impediment to obtaining an ID.
It’s important to note that within 100 feet of a voting station, audio and video recording is prohibited. While phones may be used in line, recording is not allowed, and any notes should be written or printed on paper. Additionally, voters cannot wear clothing that promotes any party, candidate, or proposition on the ballot.
Voting by mail is an option for certain individuals, but eligibility requires an application with a deadline of Friday, May 15, at 5 p.m. Registered Texas voters can vote by mail if they:
- Will be away from their county on Election Day and during early voting
- Are sick or disabled
- Are 65 or older on Election Day
- Are confined in jail but eligible to vote
- Expect to give birth within three weeks before or after Election Day
Applications for mail-in ballots can be printed and completed in English or Spanish. Voters must reapply for a mail-in ballot for each election, even if they have done so in the past. Once the mail-in ballot is received, voters should be mindful of the following deadlines to ensure their vote counts:
- Postmarked: May 26 by 7 p.m.
- Ballot received: May 27 by 5 p.m.
- In-person delivery: May 26 by 7 p.m.
Mail-in ballots can only be hand-delivered to the county elections office on Election Day, and voters must present a photo ID. Friends or family members are not permitted to submit a ballot on someone else’s behalf. Voters can track the status of their mail-in ballots using the Texas Secretary of State’s ballot tracker.
