Dates to know
- Oct. 21: First day of early voting
- Nov. 1: Last day of early voting
- Nov. 5: Election Day
During early voting, Texans can vote at any polling place in the county they reside in. Registered voters can search for polling places on the Travis County elections website.
Voters must bring at least one of seven forms of identification to the polls:
- A Texas driver license (issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety)
- A Texas personal ID card (issued by the DPS)
- A Texas handgun license (issued by the DPS)
- A Texas election ID certificate (issued by the DPS)
- A U.S. military ID card with the voter’s photograph
- A U.S. citizenship certificate with the voter’s photograph
- A U.S. passport
Additional information about reasonable impediments and voter ID rules is available on the secretary of state’s website.
On the ballot
Travis County is asking voters to approve a proposition detailing a $0.025 cent property tax rate increase, which would generate an estimated $75 million to support a county initiative aimed at expanding access to affordable child care.
Many local school districts are also holding voter-approval tax rate elections, which, if approved, would see property tax increases that school officials are hoping will help offset budget deficits.
More than 20 candidates are running for Austin mayor and five City Council positions this year, among a slew of other local city official elections, such as the cities of Pflugerville and Manor.
The following is a list of contested positions at the state and federal level up for election that represent all, or parts, of Travis County:
* marks incumbent
Federal
United States President
- Donald J. Trump (R)
- Kamala D. Harris (D)
- Chase Oliver (L)
- Jill Stein (G)
- Write-in
- Ted Cruz (R)*
- Colin Allred (D)
- Ted Brown (L)
- Write-in
- Michael T. McCaul (R)*
- Theresa Boisseau (D)
- Jeff Miller (L)
- Pete Sessions (R)*
- Mark Lorenzen (D)
- Chip Roy (R)*
- Kristin Hook (D)
- Bob King (L)
- Steven Wright (R)
- Greg Casar (D)*
- Jenny Garcia Sharon (R)
- Lloyd Doggett (D)*
- Girish Altekar (L)
Railroad commissioner
- Christi Craddick (R)*
- Katherine Culbert (D)
- Hawk Dunlap (L)
- Eddie Espinoza (G)
- Write-in
- Donna Campbell (R)*
- Merrie Fox (D)
- Ellen Troxclair (R)*
- Dwain Handley (D)
- Kodi Sawin (I)
- Nikki Kosich (R)
- Sheryl Cole (D)*
- Scott Firsing (R)
- Vikki Goodwin (D)*
- Donna Howard (D)*
- Daniel Jerome McCarthy (L)
- Jimmy Blacklock (R)*
- Dasean Jones (D)
- John Devine (R)*
- Christine Vinh Weems (D)
- Jane Bland (R)*
- Bonnie Lee Goldstein (D)
- J. David Roberson (L)
- David J. Schenck (R)
- Holly Taylor (D)
- Gina Parker (R)
- Nancy Mulder (D)
- Lee Finley (R)
- Chika Anyiam (D)
- John Messinger (R)
- Maggie Ellis (D)
- Daniel W Betts (R)
- José Garza (D)*
Justice of the Peace, Precinct 5, Unexpired Term
- Tanisa Jeffers (D)
- Write-in
- Sherri Lynn Taylor
- Cole Wilson
- Joe Sefton
- Julie Ann Nitsch
Terms to know
State representatives are members of the Texas House of Representatives, which is one of two parts of the Texas Legislature. It consists of 150 members who are elected from single-member districts for two-year terms.
The other part of the duo making up the Texas Legislature is the Texas Senate, which consists of 31 elected senators plus the lieutenant governor. Each senator represents a district with a population of roughly 800,000.
Despite its name, the three-member Railroad Commission does not govern railroads—the Texas Department of Transportation has that authority. Instead, the commission oversees the oil and gas industry; coal and uranium surface mining; natural gas utilities; and more.
A justice on the Third Court of Appeals District in Texas is part of a panel of judges that reviews cases from lower courts—including district and county courts from 24 counties in Central Texas—to ensure legal decisions were made correctly according to law. The Third Court of Appeals has jurisdiction over a range of civil and criminal cases, including those involving administrative law, constitutional issues, and appeals in criminal cases, excluding death penalty cases.
The district attorney for the 53rd Judicial District serves as the chief prosecutor for felony criminal cases, responsible for gathering criminal evidence and presenting cases to a grand jury if there are grounds for prosecution.
Justice of the Peace courts, also sometimes called justice courts, are lower courts in Texas that have jurisdiction over traffic cases, minor criminal offenses and minor civil cases.
The terms to know used sourcing from Texapedia, an encyclopedia of Texas government, and state documents.
One more thing
Voters can bring written materials, such as notes or sample ballots, to the polls. However, voters may not promote any candidate, political party or ballot item within 100 feet of the entrance to the polling place.
Cellphones and other wireless devices are banned within 100 feet of voting stations. Guns are also not allowed at polling locations.
