AUSTIN, Texas — Today's the day: Election Day has arrived, and Central Texans will be weighing in on the races for president, U.S. Senate, Austin mayor and more, as well as local propositions.
If you haven't cast your ballot yet, here's which polling places are open and what you need to bring with you. Remember, you can't use your phone at a voting station – and that's not the only rule you need to keep in mind.
If you have already voted, here's how you can check the status of your ballot and information on how ballots will be counted.
Polls close at 7 p.m., and while it could take a while for races to be called, KVUE will be on top of all the latest updates, providing regular live analyses and real-time results.
For now, let's take a look at the biggest races on the ticket.
Presidential race
At the top of the ballot is the race for the White House. Former President Donald Trump, a Republican, is facing off against Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris. Independent Jill Stein and Libertarian Chase Oliver also appear on the ballot.
According to polls, Trump and Harris have been locked in a tight race. To win the presidency, one candidate must receive the majority of Electoral College votes. But many voters also like to keep track of the popular vote.
Once polls close, this article will feature two widgets: one tracking the percentage of the Texas popular vote each presidential candidate receives and the other keeping track of electoral votes.
Texas race for the U.S. Senate
Another major race on Texans' minds is between U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and Congressman Colin Allred. Allred, a Democrat who represents Dallas, is hoping to unseat Cruz, a Republican who has served as one of the senators for the Lone Star State since 2013.
Recent polls show Cruz in the lead, but not by too wide of a margin. After polls close, we'll have a widget keeping track of the vote right here.
Austin mayoral race
Austin voters have another big race to pay attention to. Current Mayor Kirk Watson is running for reelection and has four challengers: former Austin City Council member Kathie Tovo, community organizer Carmen Llanes Pulido, interfaith organizer Doug Greco and small business owner Jeffrey Bowen.
KVUE sat down for one-on-one interviews with each of the candidates leading up to the election. You can watch all five interviews in full below:
Once polls close, we'll have a widget tracking the Austin mayoral race here in this article.
Worth noting: If you live in Austin City Council Districts 2, 4, 6, 7 or 10, you're also voting for your council member this election!
More coverage and other results
In addition to keeping an eye on this story, you can follow along with all our latest local and state election updates at kvue.com/VoteTexas. Be sure to bookmark kvue.com/elections to get live results once polls close, and download the KVUE mobile app to get results straight to your phone.
