Updated Nov. 5 at 12:42 p.m. CST
Unofficial results posted Nov. 5 at 1:54 a.m. show that Leslie Pool and Jeb Boyt have placed first and second in the race for Austin City Council District 7 and will compete in the Dec. 16 runoff for the seat.
Pool placed first among eight candidates with 3,252 votes, or about 31.2 percent of the votes. Boyt took second place with 1,805 votes, or about 17.3 percent of the votes.
Pool is an executive Assistant to Travis County Pct. 5 Constable Carlos B. Lopez. She thanked her supporters in Austin, where she has lived since 1980.
"I think I was able to communicate the depth and the breadth of my experience here and the love that I have for the city," Pool said. "We will try to bring the same amount of energy and organization to the runoff as I did to this general election."
Boyt, an attorney and community activist, said he is already preparing for the final race.
"Folks are interested in moving Austin forward and not staying mired in the same old fights of the past," Boyt said.
All results remain unofficial until canvassed.
Posted 8:11 p.m. CST
Early voting results show Leslie Pool and Jeb Boyt leading in the race for the District 7 seat on Austin City Council.
Pool and Boyt are vying for the Austin City Council seat with six other candidates—Ed English, Zack Ingraham, Jimmy Paver, Pete Salazar, Darryl Wittle and Melissa Zone.
A candidate who receives more than 50 percent of the votes will win the election. Otherwise the race will proceed to a Dec. 16 runoff election between the two leading candidates.
Early results indicate Pool has 3,251 votes, or 31.2 percent. Boyt is coming in second with 1,804 votes, or about 17.3 percent.
Early totals also show:
- Melissa Zone in third place with 1,505 votes, or 14.4 percent of votes
- Ed English in fourth place with 1,483 votes, or 14.2 percent of votes
- Jimmy Paver in fifth place with 1,262 votes, or 12.1 percent of votes
- Pete Salazar in sixth place with 592 votes, or 5.7 percent of votes
- Zack Ingraham in seventh place with 293 votes, or 2.8 percent of votes
- Darryl Wittle in eighth place with 222 votes, or 2.1 percent of votes
All election results are unofficial until canvassed.
This is the first election in which Austin voters can vote for candidates for City Council seats in 10 distinct geographic districts. Previously voters citywide approved at-large candidates for City Council. In November 2012 voters approved the new City Council system that separates the districts for council candidates but preserves at-large voting for the Austin mayor's office. In 2013 the city's Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission established the new districts.
After the new City Council is established, five council members will be randomly selected to serve initial two-year terms and five will serve initial four-year terms. The initial terms allow future council elections to be held every two years. Future council terms will last four years.
Voters in Austin City Council District 7 come from neighborhoods that include Balcones Woods, Gracywoods, Lamplight Village, Milwood, Preston Oaks, Scofield Farms, Scofield Ridge, Walnut Creek, Walnut Crossing and Wooten. The North Austin district includes about 27 square miles and about 80,000 residents, according to data provided by the city of Austin.