Election day in Austin's District 4 special election is Jan. 25, and seven polling places will be open throughout the district as the race to elect Greg Casar's successor on City Council nears a close.
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.
