See the races and measures on Austin (Hays County) ballots, plus when and where to vote, in plain English. Covers Hays County.
Enter your address in the guide to see your races and make a voting plan you can print. Your picks stay on your device. Compare endorsements from 34 sources side by side, or hide them.
Key dates
- Last day to register by mail: Mon, Oct 5Mailed applications had to be postmarked on or before Monday, October 5, 2026 (30 days before the election).
- Last day to register in person: Mon, Oct 5In-person applications at the county voter registrar's office or a volunteer deputy registrar were due Monday, October 5, 2026.
- Early voting: Mon, Oct 19 to Fri, Oct 30Monday, Oct. 19 through Friday, Oct. 30, including the weekend of Oct. 24 and 25. Hours are set by each county. Travis: every day 7 AM to 7 PM, with some sites open until 10 PM on Oct. 29 and 30. Harris: Mon through Sat 7 AM to 7 PM, Sunday Oct. 25 noon to 7 PM. Dallas: Mon through Sat 7 AM to 7 PM, Sunday Oct. 25 noon to 6 PM. Bexar regular sites: October 19 to 23, 8 AM to 6 PM; October 24, 7 AM to 7 PM; October 25, noon to 6 PM; October 26 to 30, 7 AM to 7 PM. Two branch sites, Bexar County Justice Center and Valley Ranch Community Center, open weekdays only, 8 AM to 6 PM, throughout October 19 to 30. Check your county's site for exact hours at your location.
- Last day to ask for a mail ballot: Fri, Oct 23Your application must be received (not postmarked) by your county's Early Voting Clerk by Friday, October 23, 2026. Get the form (6-1f) at VoteTexas.gov or from your county. You can submit it by mail, in person, by fax or by email as a signed scanned attachment, but if you fax or email it the signed original must arrive by mail within 4 business days. The application must include your Texas driver license, personal ID or Election Identification Certificate number (not your VUID), or if you have none of those, the last 4 digits of your Social Security number. Send it to the Early Voting Clerk in the county where you're registered.
- Mail ballot deadline: Tue, Nov 37:00 PM CT
- mail (USPS) to your county Early Voting Clerk, arriving by 7:00 PM Nov. 3, OR postmarked by 7:00 PM Nov. 3 and arriving by 5:00 PM Wednesday, Nov. 4
- common or contract carrier (FedEx, UPS) arriving by 7:00 PM Nov. 3, or by 5:00 PM Wednesday, Nov. 4 if the carrier's receipt mark shows a time before 7:00 PM Nov. 3 (Travis County lists this)
- hand-deliver it yourself, in person, to the county Early Voting Clerk's office, but only on Election Day (Nov. 3) while polls are open, with your photo ID (Election Code 86.006(a-1))
- Texas does not use ballot drop boxes
- Election Day: Tue, Nov 3You can vote from 7 AM to 7 PM. If you are inside or in line at the polling place at 7:00 PM, you get to vote. Stay in line. (Election Code 41.032)
Where to vote
- Find your Election Day polling place
- Track your mail ballot
- Check your registration
- See your official sample ballot
Election Day: Tue Nov 3, 7 AM to 7 PM. Any Hays voter can use any Hays vote center. This list follows Hays County's own combined sample ballot. Not listed here, so check your sample ballot: the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District director races, and the Justice of the Peace precinct 3, 4 and 5 races.
Your election office: Hays County Elections Office
512-393-7310
120 Stagecoach Trail, San Marcos 78666
Open Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM. Mail ballot questions: ballotbymail@hayscountytx.gov.
What to bring
Photo ID required in person.
No ID? If you don't have one of the seven photo IDs and can't reasonably get one, you can still vote a regular ballot: show a supporting document (voter registration certificate, current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, certified birth certificate, or any government document with your name and address, copy or original) and sign a Reasonable Impediment Declaration at the polls. If you have none of that, you vote a provisional ballot and have until the 6th day after the election (Monday, Nov. 9, 2026) to bring ID to the county voter registrar's office so it counts (Election Code 65.0541). You can also leave and come back with ID before polls close.
What's on the ballot in Austin (Hays County)
39 races and 10 measures across Austin (Hays County). Your address decides which ones are on your ballot. Enter it in the guide to see yours.
Federal
- U.S. Senator
Ken Paxton (Republican), James Talarico (Democratic), Ted Brown (Libertarian), Avery Ayers (Write-in), Bradford 'Brad' Hall (Write-in), Zul Mohamed (Write-in), Jade Simmons (Write-in)
- U.S. Representative Your address determines your district.
- District 21 Mark Teixeira (Republican), Kristin Hook (Democratic)
- District 27 Michael Cloud (Republican), Tanya Lloyd (Democratic)
State
- Governor
Greg Abbott (Republican), Gina Hinojosa (Democratic), Pat Dixon (Libertarian), Edward Earl Giles (Write-in), Jenn Mack (Write-in), Jinghpaw Majoishingra (Write-in), Mike Miller (Write-in)
- Lieutenant Governor
Dan Patrick (Republican), Vikki Goodwin (Democratic), Anthony Cristo (Libertarian), Kevin McCormick (Green), Arturo Espinosa (Write-in), Stephen Samuelson (Write-in)
- Attorney General
Mayes Middleton (Republican), Nathan Johnson (Democratic), Tom Oxford (Libertarian)
- Comptroller of Public Accounts
Don Huffines (Republican), Sarah Eckhardt (Democratic), V. Alonzo Echavarria-Garza (Libertarian), Shehla Faizi (Green)
- Commissioner of the General Land Office
Dawn Buckingham (Republican), Benjamin Flores (Democratic), Neill Snider (Libertarian)
- Commissioner of Agriculture
Nate Sheets (Republican), Clayton Tucker (Democratic), Austin R. Kelly (Libertarian)
- Railroad Commissioner
Bo French (Republican), Jon Rosenthal (Democratic), Arthur DiBianca (Libertarian)
- Member, State Board of Education SBOE District 5 Only in parts of Austin (Hays County)
Mica Arellano (Republican), Allison Bush (Democratic)
- State Senator District 21 Only in parts of Austin (Hays County)
Julie Dahlberg (Republican), Judith Zaffirini (Democratic)
- State Representative Your address determines your district.
- District 45 Erin Zwiener (Democratic), Tennyson Moreno (Republican)
- District 73 Carrie Isaac (Republican), Merrie Fox (Democratic)
Courts
- Chief Justice, Supreme Court Place 1
Jimmy Blacklock (Republican), Maggie Ellis (Democratic)
- Justice, Supreme Court Place 2, unexpired term
James P. Sullivan (Republican), Chari Kelly (Democratic)
- Justice, Supreme Court Place 7
Kyle Hawkins (Republican), Kristen Hawkins (Democratic)
- Justice, Supreme Court Place 8
Brett Busby (Republican), Gisela D. Triana (Democratic)
- Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals Place 3
Thomas Smith (Republican), Okey Anyiam (Democratic), Mark Ash (Libertarian)
- Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals Place 4
Kevin Patrick Yeary (Republican), Audra Riley (Democratic)
- Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals Place 9
John Messinger (Republican), Holly Taylor (Democratic)
- Chief Justice, 15th Court of Appeals Place 1
Scott Brister (Republican), Jerry Zimmerer (Democratic)
- Justice, 15th Court of Appeals Place 2
Scott K. Field (Republican), Tom Baker (Democratic)
- Justice, 15th Court of Appeals Place 3
April Farris (Republican), Marc M. Meyer (Democratic)
- Chief Justice, 3rd Court of Appeals 3rd Court of Appeals District
Cory Liu (Republican), Darlene Byrne (Democratic)
- District Judge 207th Judicial District
Unopposed: Tracy Wright Reneau (Republican)
- District Judge 274th Judicial District
Unopposed: Gary L. Steel (Republican)
- District Judge 428th Judicial District
Paul Still (Republican), Cassie Benoist-Templeton (Democratic)
- Judge, County Court at Law No. 1
Unopposed: Jimmy Alan Hall (Democratic)
- Judge, County Court at Law No. 2
Chris Johnson (Democratic), Charmaine Wilde (Republican)
- Justice of the Peace Precinct 1, Place 2 Only in parts of Austin (Hays County)
Unopposed: Maggie Hernandez Moreno (Democratic)
County
- Criminal District Attorney
Alfonso O. Salazar (Democratic), Kirsta Melton (Independent)
- County Judge
Michelle Gutierrez Cohen (Democratic), Geoffrey Tahuahua (Republican), Liz "Sumter" Gajdos (Independent)
- County Commissioner Your address determines your district.
- Precinct 2 Johnny Flores (Democratic), Abby Gibson (Republican)
- Precinct 4 Rob McClelland (Republican), Angie Unger (Democratic)
- District Clerk
Unopposed: Amanda K. Calvert (Democratic)
- County Clerk
Unopposed: Cynthia A. Millonzi (Democratic)
- County Treasurer
Unopposed: Daphne Sanchez Tenorio (Democratic)
City
- Austin City Council Member District 8 Only in parts of Austin (Hays County)
Jeffery Bowen, Selena Xie
Other local districts
- Austin Community College Trustee Place 1
Dana Walker, Gloria Gonzales-Dholakia
- Austin Community College Trustee Place 2
Unopposed: Gigi Edwards Bryant
- Austin Community College Trustee Place 3
Trevor Hale, Nan McRaven
Ballot measures
- Proposition A: Park bonds
- Proposition B: Library bonds
- Proposition C: Council district drawing rules
- Proposition D: Council meeting schedule
- Proposition E: Council meeting rules
- Proposition F: Campaign contribution limits
- Proposition G: Citizen petition election dates
- Proposition H: Hiring the city attorney
- Proposition I: Outside reviews of city spending
- Proposition J: Charter wording cleanup
Open your Austin (Hays County) ballot