Texas primary runoff election: What you need to know before voting
Here is everything you need to know for the May 28 primary runoff election, from where to vote to what you need to bring with you to your polling place.
It's time for Texans to cast their ballots in the May 28 primary runoff election.
The last day to register to vote in this election was April 29. You can check online to see if you are currently registered.
Here is everything you need to know about voting in the May 28 election, from polling locations to what you need to bring with you to vote.
When and where you can vote
Registered and eligible Texas voters may vote at any early voting location located in the county in which they live.
Early voting locations were populated through the Vote Texas website two days before the first day of early voting. All voters had to do is plug in their information in order to find polling locations.
Early voting for the May 28 primary runoff election will be held from Monday, May 20, through Friday, May 24. During early voting, polling place hours varied at each location.
On Election Day, May 28, things work a little differently.
You will want to see if the county you live in participates in the Countywide Polling Place Program (CWPP). If your county does participate in CWPP, you can vote at any polling place in the county. If your county doesn't participate in CWPP, you can only vote at the polling place assigned to you on Election Day.
On Election Day, all polling places across Texas are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. As long as you get in line before 7 p.m., you will be able to vote.
If you submitted a ballot by mail, you can check its status using this tracker.
What you need to bring to vote
To vote in Texas, you need to have a form of identification when you go to cast your ballot at a polling location. Here is a list of acceptable forms of photo identification:
- Texas Driver License issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)
- Texas Election Identification Certificate issued by DPS
- Texas Personal Identification Card issued by DPS
- Texas Handgun License issued by DPS
- U.S. Military Identification Card containing the person’s photograph
- U.S. Citizenship Certificate containing the person’s photograph
- U.S. Passport (book or card)
If you don't have one of the forms of ID listed above and can't reasonably obtain one, you can bring one of the following in order to execute a "Reasonable Impediment Declaration":
- Copy or original of a government document that shows the voter’s name and an address, including the voter’s voter registration certificate
- Copy of or original current utility bill
- Copy of or original bank statement
- Copy of or original government check
- Copy of or original paycheck
- Copy of or original of (a) a certified domestic (from a U.S. state or territory) birth certificate or (b) a document confirming birth admissible in a court of law which establishes the voter’s identity (which may include a foreign birth document)
Reminder: Cellphones are not allowed inside polling locations. Voters can, however, print a copy of their sample ballot and bring it with them to the polls.
What will be on the ballot?
Not everyone will have something on the ballot this election. It depends on where you live and which party primary you want to vote in.
For example, voters in Travis and Hays counties who live in the 35th congressional district and vote in the Republican primary will see a runoff on their ballot: Michael Rodriguez and Steven Wright. Whoever wins will challenge Democratic Congressman Greg Casar.
In other parts of the state, Republican incumbents are facing challengers, including Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan, who represents parts of East Texas. David Covey is challenging him and has earned endorsements from Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, former president Donald Trump and Attorney General Ken Paxton, in part because of Paxton's efforts to unseat House Republicans who supported his impeachment last year.
Ahead of the election, you can look up a sample ballot for your county. If you live in Travis County, you can check here; for Williamson County voters, a sample ballot can be found here; and for Hays County voters, you can view a sample ballot here.
How to get the latest election results
Be sure to bookmark kvue.com/elections in order to get live results once the polling sites around Central Texas close on Election Day. Follow along with the latest election stories at kvue.com/VoteTexas.
Download the KVUE mobile app to get election results straight to your phone.