The January special election was called last fall after Casar announced his bid to represent Central Texas in the 35th Congressional District, a move that requires his resignation from council. Casar will continue in his current role until his replacement is chosen, and the successor will serve out the remainder of his term lasting until January 2025.
Any candidate who earns more than 50% of the vote Jan. 25 will be sworn in as the next District 4 council member after the election is canvassed, possibly Feb. 4. If no candidate earns a majority vote on election night, however, a runoff election featuring the top two election day finalists will be required to decide a winner. The city reserved March 22 as the tentative runoff date if necessary.
Austin's most recent City Council election in November 2020 saw three of five races end on election night—including Casar's win with more than two-thirds of the District 4 vote—while two were decided in a December runoff.
The seven-person field for this year's District 4 contest was officially set in December and has generated tens of thousands of dollars in candidate spending over the past several months. Early voting ran from Jan. 10-21 and saw participation from just under 1,900 District 4 residents representing 5.41% of the district's registered voter total.
On election day, the seven polling places in the North Central Austin district will operate from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Locations stretch along the I-35 corridor as far south as Sawyer Hall on East 51st Street to Chinatown Center on North Lamar Boulevard at the district's northern edge. All voting locations are open to all district voters.
More information about voting on election day may be found through the Travis County clerk's website or by calling the clerk's office at 512-238-8683.
