Travis County voters are returning to the polls to settle a few races that didn’t get called last month. Early voting has begun and runs through Dec. 10. Election Day is Saturday, Dec. 14.
A runoff election happens when no candidate gets a majority (50% plus one) of the vote. The two candidates with the most votes face each other in the runoff. If you didn’t vote in the general election, you can still vote in this one.
What’s on the ballot?
There are three races Austin-area residents will decide this election, depending on where they live.
Voters in Austin City Council District 7 will choose between Gary Bledsoe and Mike Siegel to represent them at City Hall.
Bledsoe is a civil rights attorney. He said he is running for City Council because he wants common sense solutions to the city’s issues, including housing and affordability. He also said he wants to increase transparency and public input on decisions being made at City Hall.
Siegel is a former Austin city attorney and co-founder of the political nonprofit Ground Game Texas. He said he wants to take strong action on climate change, to protect reproductive choice and to build housing for workers in the community and expand public transportation.
Austin ISD voters will decide between Lindsey Stringer and Fernando Lucas de Urioste for an at-large seat on the school board.
Stringer is a former teacher and vice president of technology and business operations at the nonprofit National Math and Science Initiative. She said her goals are to improve financial stability and the enrollment process, ensure the district is providing all students with the tools necessary to thrive after high school and increase community engagement.
De Urioste is a former substitute teacher and director of advocate services at the Cirkiel Law Group, which works to support students and families across the state and ensure equal access to a free public education. He said he is running because he believes every student in the district deserve the best possible education, and he wants to advocate for students, families and teachers to be successful.
Voters in Manor will choose their next mayor. Christopher Harvey or Tricia Campbell are on the ballot.
You can see a personalized ballot based on your address at VOTE411.
Important dates
Nov. 14 – Last day to register to vote in the runoff election
Dec. 2 – Early voting begins
Dec. 3 – Last day to apply for a mail-in ballot
Dec. 10 – Last day of early voting
Dec. 14 – Election Day
Am I registered to vote?
You can go to the Texas Secretary of State’s website to check your registration anywhere in the state. If it turns out you’re not registered, the deadline for this election has passed — but you can visit the Vote Texas site to learn how to register for future elections.
When and where can I vote?
What do I bring to the polls?
Make sure to bring a photo ID when you vote. Acceptable forms of ID include:
- Texas driver’s license
- Texas election identification certificate
- Texas personal identification card
- Texas handgun license
- U.S. military identification card that includes your photograph
- U.S. citizenship certificate that includes your photograph
- U.S. passport
The ID can be expired for up to four years. If you’re 70 or older, you can bring a photo ID that has been expired for any length of time.
If you had trouble getting an ID, here are the alternatives you can bring to the polls:
- government document showing your name and an address, such as your voter registration certificate
- current utility bill
- bank statement
- government check
- paycheck
- certified birth certificate or court admissible birth document
All of these documents can either be a copy or the original. If you use one of these, you’ll have to sign a form that says you had a reasonable impediment to getting an ID.
What not to do at the polls
You can’t use cellphones, cameras, computers or any kind of recording device within 100 feet of voting booths. If you were planning to have some notes on your phone, print them out instead.
You also can’t wear clothes or accessories relating to a candidate, political party or measure on the ballot.
Voting by mail
In Texas, you can vote by mail only if you:
- won’t be in the county you’re registered in during early voting and on Election Day
- are sick or disabled
- are expecting to give birth within three weeks before or after Election Day
- are 65 or older on Election Day
- are in prison or involuntary civil commitment, but are otherwise eligible
The deadline for election officials to receive your mail-in ballot request is Dec. 3. To vote by mail, print the “Application for Ballot by Mail” or submit an online request for it to be mailed to you. Fill out the required sections and sign your name with the date, then mail, fax, email or hand deliver the completed application to the early voting clerk in your county. (If you fax or email, you still have to mail in your original application within four business days.) You can visit the Texas Secretary of State website for more guidance.
The Austin-area League of Women Voters has also put together a guide to voting by mail for Central Texas voters, which you can find on the organization’s website.
There are some extra deadlines you should keep in mind if you’re voting by mail:
- Postmarked: Dec. 14 by 7 p.m.
- Post received: Dec. 16 by 5 p.m.
- In-person received: Dec. 14 by 7 p.m.
Once you’ve returned your mail-in ballot, you can check its status on the Texas Secretary of State’s website.
