Voter turnout in Harris County during the March primaries set a new record for a non-presidential election year, which means many Texans went to the polls for the first time. With March elections concluded, some voters might be wondering what happens next.


In many cases, the primaries are not quite over. In order to win a primary election and represent the Democratic or Republican party in November elections, a candidate must receive more than 50 percent of the vote. Many races, especially those where the field was more crowded, did not have any one candidate hit that threshold. In those situations, the two candidates to receive the greatest percentage of the vote move on to face each other in a head-to-head runoff election.


Runoffs in Texas are slated for May 22, with early voting set to begin May 14. Three congressional seats representing the Cy-Fair area will feature runoffs. See our primary recap for more information on election results. Candidates will be counting on their supporters to turn out in November, but those in runoffs will first need them to turn out in May.