Doinoff said she recommends reviewing what's at stake ahead of time, as San Marcos, Buda and Kyle voters can expect “extremely long” ballots with state propositions, city charter amendments and other local races.
Q&As with all the candidates in locally contested races can be found here and in the October printed edition of Community Impact.
Those interested in learning which races apply to them can also visit the Community Impact Voter Guide.
Stay tuned for more Hays County elections information, including election night results.
What you need to know
Hays County recently replaced several polling locations due to Americans with Disabilities Act noncompliance, as previously reported by Community Impact.
The new locations, as seen in the map below, opened for early voting Oct. 20 and will run through Oct. 31, with Election Day on Nov. 4.
Voter turnout
Turnout has generally increased since 2018—the year Hays County adopted the Countywide Polling Place Program, also known as the vote-center method. The system allows voters to cast ballots at any polling location within the county, rather than only within their assigned precinct, Doinoff said.
Districts
San Marcos does not have district-based council representation. Instead, city spokesperson Nadine Cesak said all council seats are at-large, meaning each member represents the city as a whole rather than a specific geographic area.
Buda was last redistricted in 2018, according to spokesperson Michelle Henley. After reviewing population data from the 2020 U.S. census, the Buda City Council voted in April 2022 to maintain its existing district boundaries because the population data didn’t show a significant change in the districts to warrant redistricting.
Kyle city officials approved new voting district maps in June to ensure balanced population distribution across its three single-member council districts, according to previous reporting by Community Impact.
Charter amendments
The ballots are lengthier than in previous years, largely due to city charter amendments, including 12 in San Marcos, eight in Buda and 17 in Kyle.
William DeSoto, Texas State University political science professor, explained how charter amendments are proposed, noting that city councils appoint Charter Review Commissions, which then review and recommend changes—with public input playing an important role in the process. The CRC votes on possible modifications, with the council deciding which charter amendments should be on the ballot, DeSota explained.
What to expect
San Marcos, Buda and Kyle all operate under a majority vote system—meaning candidates must receive 50% plus one vote to win. If no candidate meets that threshold, a runoff between the top two candidates will be scheduled for Dec. 13, Doinoff said. The deadline for voter registration for the runoff election would be Nov. 13, she said.
“Anybody [who] wasn't registered in time for the election can still register for the runoff election,” Doinoff said.
The initial election and the runoff must be canvassed within 10 days, according to Doinoff.
