After dozens of Texas’ federal, state and local primary races ended without a clear winner in March, candidates for those seats will face off in an overtime round, known as a runoff election, this month.
Registered voters who participate in the runoff election can select their nominees for various seats during the May 18-22 early voting period or on runoff election day, which is May 26.
Here’s what Texans should know before heading to the polls this month.
What is a runoff election?
Texas held its Republican and Democratic primary elections March 3. State law requires that primary candidates receive more than 50% of the votes cast to advance to a general election, meaning a candidate must earn a majority of the vote—not just the highest number of votes—to win their primary outright.
This rule means crowded Texas primary races frequently result in runoffs, which include the two-highest performing candidates.
In the May 26 runoff election, Republican and Democratic voters will choose who they want to represent them in statewide offices, state legislative seats, redrawn Congressional districts, the State Board of Education and county-level positions. The winner of each runoff race will appear on the Nov. 3 ballot.
Nearly 4.5 million Texans voted in the March 3 primary election, setting a new state record for primary turnout, Community Impact reported. However, state data shows that fewer voters tend to go to the polls for runoff elections.
Who is eligible to vote?
Texas’ runoff elections, like primaries, are separated by political party. This means voters who participated in this year’s Republican primary are only allowed to vote in the Republican runoff, and those who voted in the Democratic primary can only vote in the Democratic runoff.
Individuals who did not vote in the March primaries or participate in a third-party nominating convention are eligible to vote in either party’s runoff.
Texans who were not previously registered to vote had until April 27 to do so before the runoff election.
What’s on the ballot?
Various federal, state and local races will appear on the May 26 runoff ballot.
At the top of the ticket, Texas Republican voters will choose between incumbent John Cornyn and state Attorney General Ken Paxton to determine the party’s nominee for U.S. Senate. The winning candidate will face the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate—state Rep. James Talarico of Austin—in November. Community Impact’s election Q&A with Cornyn and Paxton is available here.
Voters from both parties will make their picks to replace Paxton as attorney general. Republican voters will choose between state Sen. Mayes Middleton of Galveston and U.S. Rep. Chip Roy of Austin, while Democratic voters will cast votes for state Sen. Nathan Johnson of Dallas or former Galveston Mayor Joe Jaworski.
Republicans Jim Wright and Bo French are vying for the party’s nomination for the Texas Railroad Commission, while Democrats Vikki Goodwin and Marcos Vélez will compete in the lieutenant governor runoff.
Voters who reside in Community Impact’s coverage areas can find more races on their local ballot at communityimpact.com/voter-guide and read Q&As with runoff candidates at communityimpact.com/election.
What happens at the polls?
During early voting, registered voters can visit any polling location within their county of residence. Voters can search for polling locations through the state voter portal or contact their local election office.
Each voter will be given a ballot with statewide seats and other races determined by the voting precinct they live in.
Voters must bring one of seven forms of identification to the polls:
- A Texas driver’s 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
Texans without an approved ID can sign a “reasonable impediment declaration” at the polls and present an alternative form of identification, such as a birth certificate, a current utility bill or a paycheck. More information about voter ID requirements is available at votetexas.gov.
Voters may bring written materials, such as notes and sample ballots, to the polls to help them cast their votes, according to the secretary of state’s office.
Texans cannot post or distribute written materials within 100 feet of an entrance to a polling place, as this is considered campaigning or electioneering under state law. Guns and wireless devices such as cellphones, tablets and smart watches are not allowed at polling places.
Dates to know
- May 15 is the last day to apply to vote by mail. More information about mail-in voting and the application process is available here.
- May 18 is the first day of early in-person voting.
- May 22 is the last day to vote early.
- May 26 is runoff election day.