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Election Day updates: Trump takes Texas, Cruz defeats Allred

Published November 5, 2024 at 6:21 AM CST
A sign on the ground says Yo Voté
Livia Blackburn
/
KUT News
Polling places in Texas are open until 7 p.m.

Election Day is here. There's plenty on the ballot – from the highly watched presidential race, U.S. Senate race, Austin mayor and many local measures. We'll be providing updates on key races in Travis, Hays and Williamson counties and more.

Austin mayoral election results: Unofficial results put Watson in the lead

Posted November 6, 2024 at 1:00 AM CST

Austin Mayor Kirk Watson is ahead in the city's mayoral race with just over 50% of the vote, according to unofficial voting totals.

It appears that Watson might be able to eke out an outright win over his four opponents and avoid a runoff election in December.

"I don’t count chickens until they are hatched," Watson told KUT News at an election watch party. "[But] I'm very excited and happy with the numbers so far."

Mayoral and City Council candidates must receive a majority of votes, or 50% plus one vote, to be declared winners. When no candidate passes this threshold, the two candidates who receive the most votes head to a second election.

Following Watson's strong lead is Carmen Llanes Pulido who, according to unofficial results, received about 20% of the vote. Llanes Pulido runs the nonprofit Go Austin/Vamos Austin.

If Watson wins, this will be the fourth time Austin voters have elected him mayor.

Sen. Ted Cruz declares victory over Rep. Colin Allred, winning third term

Posted November 5, 2024 at 10:53 PM CST

Republican Sen. Ted Cruz declared victory against his Democratic challenger, Dallas Congressman Colin Allred, to win a third term as Texas' junior senator. Preliminary results compiled by the Texas Secretary of State's Office showed Cruz leading Allred by 55.7% to 42.3% statewide at the time Allred conceded the race.

Cruz and Allred together raised more than $166 million. Cruz raised more than $86.7 million, including funds raised before Allred entered the race, while Allred raised more than $80 million. That made it the most expensive congressional contest in the nation during the 2024 cycle. It also demolished the previous record for a Texas congressional contest set six years ago, when Cruz and his then-opponent, Congressman Beto O'Rourke, collectively raised about $124 million.

Read more about the race from Houston Public Media.

As election results roll in, UT Austin students watch national races

Posted November 5, 2024 at 10:09 PM CST
A lecture room full of college students react to election results that are coming in on Election Day, Nov. 5.
Charlotte Keene
/
KUT News
UT Austin students fill in a blank map of the U.S. to predict what they think the outcome of the presidential election will be.

Students are gathered at the Dealey Center for New Media at UT Austin to watch election results as they roll in. The Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life put on the non-partisan watch party, with pizza and prizes for attendees.

Travis County Judge Andy Brown spoke at the watch party, answering questions about local issues on the ballot like Travis County Proposition A, which could create new affordable childcare in the county.

Sarrah Arastu transferred to UT Austin from another college in San Antonio. She said she registered to vote in Travis County this year and research prior to voting to understand key local elections, like Prop A.

She said it’s important for college students to be informed and vote in their local elections.

Stephan Cox grew up in North Carolina and attends university in Europe. He said he is back in the states for an exchange program at UT Austin this fall, and is closely watching North Carolina polls.

“My concern is my home state North Carolina,” Cox said. “That's a really big tipping point.”

While he does not know much about Travis County issues, he said he’s interested in civil rights, economics and foreign policy because he’s living abroad. He voted by email with an absentee overseas ballot and said the process went smoothly.

The institute handed out blank maps of the U.S. for attendees to predict the outcome of the presidential election by coloring in states blue or red. Whoever has the closest guess when the results are called will win a prize from the University Co-Op.

An event worker said about 500 students showed up and some had to go into an overflow room.

Trump takes Texas

Posted November 5, 2024 at 8:36 PM CST

Former President Donald Trump has won Texas, according the AP.

Though not unexpected, the news organization called the race shortly after 8 p.m. CT.

Read more about Trump winning Texas' 40 electoral votes from The Texas Tribune.

Austin ISD claims victory in Prop A tax rate election

Posted November 5, 2024 at 8:27 PM CST

Austin ISD representatives are claiming victory after early voting totals showed strong support for a tax rate proposition that will generate millions of dollars in new funding. The district plans to use that money to give most employees raises and help pay down its $119 million budget deficit.

The district said it was confident the proposition would pass after seeing early voting totals, with 59% of early voters voting for the tax rate increase. Votes cast on Election Day are still being tallied.

“I am just so encouraged and so grateful to our community for choosing to invest in our schools and our students,” said Arati Singh, AISD School Board President. “Let’s really focus now on getting some good laws passed in the Legislature in January.”

Democratic Reps. Lloyd Doggett and Greg Casar win reelection

Posted November 5, 2024 at 8:11 PM CST

Austin Congressman Lloyd Doggett has won another term in the U.S. House representing Texas' 37th District. In what was expected to be a non-competitive race, the AP called the race for Doggett early in the night. This will be Doggett’s 16th term in office.

Also in the Austin area, Rep. Greg Casar is heading back for his second term to represent Texas' 35th Congressional District. Like Doggett’s race, and most congressional districts in Texas, it was considered non-competitive and called early by the AP.

Ted Cruz, Colin Allred vie to represent Texas in the U.S. Senate

Posted November 5, 2024 at 7:30 PM CST
Two people standing behind podiums on a stage with Texas Senate Debate on a red, white and blue backdrop
Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune
/
via Pool
U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, D-Dallas, and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, take part in a debate for the U.S. Senate hosted by WFAA on Oct. 15.

Central Texas voters are choosing between incumbent U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and his Democratic challenger, U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, to represent the state in Washington, D.C.

The candidates participated in only one debate this election cycle. Each candidate laid out their policy agendas and grievances on issues like abortion, border security and the economy.

At the debate Allred voiced his support for women’s access to abortion and criticized Cruz for celebrating the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Cruz sidestepped the question on abortion, but accused Allred of voting in favor of legalizing late-term abortions.

When asked about the border, Cruz said “every single time there’s a serious measure in the House to secure the border, Colin Allred votes no.” Allred pushed back by criticizing Cruz for not supporting the bipartisan immigration bill that failed to pass earlier this year.

Cruz also blamed Allred and Democrats at large for inflation. Allred maintained that he’s focused on lowering the costs of essential needs like prescription drugs and housing.

You can read more about the candidates and their debate here. Find results from the race as they come in here.

Polls are closed

Posted November 5, 2024 at 7:00 PM CST

We've reached 7 p.m., which means polling locations are officially closed for Election Day. Don't leave if you're already in line; you'll still be able to cast your ballot.

As for what's next, counties are starting to report early voting results.

Here are some of the biggest races we're following:

We're also following county-specific races:

Results might not be in tonight and some Austin races could head to runoffs

Posted November 5, 2024 at 6:34 PM CST
A collage of all five mayoral candidates' portraits edited together.
Collage by Deborah Cannon
/
KUT News
The five candidates for mayor are Doug Greco (top left), Jeffery Bowen (bottom left), Kirk Watson (center), Kathie Tovo (center right) and Carmen Llanes Pulido.

If the race is close, it might be late into the night — or even days later — that we know the outcome of the presidential election. That's due to a combination of reasons, including long lines when polls close and mail-in ballots.

At the local level, it's also possible we won't know the results of some races because no candidate gets a majority (50% plus one) of the vote, which would trigger a runoff election.

Austin mayor and city council candidates must get a majority vote to win their races. A lot of candidates in one race — this year's mayoral race has five — could make a runoff more likely to happen.

The two candidates who get the most votes in this election would continue on to the runoff.

Current Mayor Kirk Watson and some council members won their seats in a 2022 runoff.

The runoff election for any city races this time around will take place on Dec. 14.

1 hour till polls close

Posted November 5, 2024 at 6:00 PM CST

Polls close at 7 p.m. across the Austin area. So, if you haven't voted yet, now is the time to make your way to a polling location.

As long as you are in line by 7 p.m., you will be able to cast your ballot. Not sure where to go? Check out the maps below for wait times in Travis, Williamson and Hays counties.

Travis County polling locations and wait times

Williamson County polling locations and wait times

Hays County polling locations and wait times

When will election results start coming in?

Updated November 5, 2024 at 5:47 PM CST
Posted November 5, 2024 at 5:47 PM CST
A line forms outside of a library building as people wait to vote. It looks to be a few dozen people long.
Michael Minasi
/
KUT News
Long lines at polling places at closing time, which is 7 p.m. in Texas, could delay results.

Polling places in different states close at different times on Election Day. In Texas, polls close at 7 p.m. local time. After that, counties will start reporting results — early voting results will trickle in first.

Keep in mind that the whole process can take a while, it’s normal to not know the winner of a race by the end of the night, and votes will keep coming in even days after.

Here are a few reasons why:

People in line to vote at the time that polls close are still entitled to vote, which could be hours after closing time if the lines are long.

In Texas, most mail-in ballots are accepted until 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 6, if they’re postmarked by Election Day. Military and overseas voters have even later deadlines.

Here’s a breakdown of how counting ballots works in Texas from Votebeat.

Wondering why media organizations, and not the government, are calling races on Election Night? Many states have weeks-long processes to officially certify their results. News organizations have historically been the ones to call races based on a combination of data and reporting. The Associated Press has called races for more than 170 years.

NPR partners with the AP for election results. Here’s a deep dive on NPR and the AP’s process.

Travis County District Attorney José Garza has a likely path to victory today after contentious primary

Posted November 5, 2024 at 5:44 PM CST

Travis County voters will decide whether to reelect District Attorney José Garza on Election Day.

Garza faces Republican Daniel Betts. Historically, Republican challengers have faced an uphill sled in the reliably blue county, but that’s not to say Garza has had an easy path this election cycle.

Garza had a messy challenge in the primary. His then-opponent Jeremy Sylestine outfundraised him 6 to 1, was backed by Travis County Republicans – and even an Elon Musk-backed PAC.

In today's general election, Garza has a likely path to victory. He defeated his last Republican challenger in 2020 with 70% of the vote.

Elsewhere on the county ballot, a handful of Democratic judges and other Travis County officials will cruise to victory unopposed. All told, 14 Democratic judges face no opposition in Travis County. Travis County Commissioners Jeff Travillion and Ann Howard are also running unopposed, as well as Sheriff Sally Hernandez, County Attorney Delia Garza and all five constables.

That trend extends to the statewide ballot, where Austin area state representatives Gina Hinojosa, James Talarico, Lulu Flores have all effectively won reelection.

Longtime State Rep. Donna Howard faces a challenge from Libertarian Daniel McCarthy, and State Rep. Sheryl Cole faces Republican Nikki Kosich in District 46, though those candidates have historically easily held on to their seats.

But not all legislative Democrats are safe.

In Western Travis County, State Rep. Vikki Goodwin faces a potentially close race against Republican Scott Firsing in District 47. Goodwin narrowly fended off a Republican challenger in the swing district in 2020. Goodwin first won the seat in 2018, upsetting Republican State Rep. Paul Workman, who held it for three terms.

Another Austin-area Texas House seat is up for grabs, as well.

State Rep. Ellen Troxclair, the only Republican elected official in Travis County, faces Democrat Dwain Handley and Independent Kodi Sawin to hold on to Texas’ 19th District. Troxclair’s district covers a sliver of Travis County, along with Blanco, Burnet, Gillespie and Kendall counties, and she easily defeated her opponent in 2022.

The Hays County sheriff candidates on school safety issues

Posted November 5, 2024 at 5:04 PM CST
A composite of two portraits.
Campaign websites
Democrat Alex Villalobos faces Republican Anthony Hipolito in the race to become the next Hays County sheriff.

Hays County voters are deciding between Democrat Alex Villalobos and Republican Anthony Hipolito for sheriff.

In Hays County, the sheriff’s office has been at the forefront of issues concerning local school districts, including launching campaigns for fentanyl awareness and dealing with violent threats to campuses. The sheriff’s office also oversees school resource officers.

Regarding the uptick in threats to school campuses this school year, Villalobos said he believes the department should help tackle the bigger picture.

“We gotta get down to the root issues on why students feel compelled to do some of the things that they’re doing,” he said. “Not just arrest or investigate, and we discipline and we move on.”

Hipolito stressed the need to educate students and bring awareness to the seriousness of school threats.

“If we have to make an example out of these kids by putting them in jail, we’re going to continue to do that because the message has to be clear,” he said.

Read what else the candidates had to say about school safety issues.

Meet the candidates running to oversee Texas' oil and gas industry

Posted November 5, 2024 at 4:27 PM CST

One of the races you'll find on your ballot is a statewide contest for a Texas Railroad commissioner seat. The agency oversees Texas' oil and gas industry.

Some challengers to the Republican incumbent are seeking to reform an agency that, they say, has fallen under the control of the very industry it regulates.

You'll find these candidates on your ballot:

  • Katherine Culbert, Democrat
  • Hawk Dunlap, Libertarian 
  • Eddie Espinoza, Green Party
  • Christi Craddick, Republican (incumbent)

Read about each one here.

Nervous voters find relatively short wait times at Kyle City Hall

Posted November 5, 2024 at 3:48 PM CST

Dozens of voters have passed through the doors of Kyle City Hall this afternoon to cast their ballots, where the average wait time is over 20 minutes according to Hays County's live Election Day dashboard.

Voter Karen Campos said several races brought her to the polls today, including the ballot measure for Proposition A, a proposed $440-million transportation bond in Hays County. Campos said she understands the need for road construction and maintenance in the county but feels it's a lot of money.

"I was a little on the fence about it," she said.

The road bond and its 31 proposed projects have received criticism from county residents. Signs asking voters to vote "no" are at polling locations across the county.

It took Campos 30 minutes to get through the line at city hall, and she was still unsure about the proposition when she got to the booth.

She did not want to disclose what she ultimately voted for, but said she feels "hopeful" about the election and would welcome "positive change."

Another Kyle resident, Alondra Brito, cast her ballot at Kyle City Hall after the line had gotten a little shorter. She said she was familiar with the presidential candidates but didn't know much about the other races on the ballot.

“I’m not really into politics,” Brito said. “So I kinda just went with what I thought was best.”

She said said she felt nervous.

“A lot could change and you just never know what to prepare for,” she said.

UT students can take a shuttle to other polling locations to avoid long lines at the Texas Union

Posted November 5, 2024 at 3:17 PM CST
Students get onto a black shuttle bus that says "polling location shuttle" to get to a polling place with shorter lines.
Olivia Aldridge
/
KUT News
A shuttle organized by the UT Austin's University Democrats is taking students from the Texas Union to nearby polling places where lines are shorter.

UT Austin students have options if they run into long lines when they head out to vote at the Texas Union today.

They can also hop on a shuttle to a polling location with a shorter line — either to Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary or the Travis County Civil and Family Courts Facility.

Volunteer Mary Kay Hanson is riding the shuttle to the seminary all day to help keep things moving.

“Basically, we’re the older people on the bus,” she said with a laugh, gesturing to a fellow volunteer.

Hanson said she’s been involved in politics most of her life, and jumped at the chance to help young adults make their voice heard at the polls.

“I love politics,” she said. “I’ve been active since Kennedy, basically.”

The shuttle service is organized by University Democrats, but the organization’s president, Brian Peña, said it’s a nonpartisan service. Volunteers are asked to maintain neutrality when interacting with voters and to focus conversations on the logistics of getting folks to the polls.

Peña said the idea for the shuttle came during the 2022 midterm elections, when the line at the union stretched on for hours.

“We realized that there was something that needed to happen,” he said. “So we did it ourselves.”

Peña said the shuttles make their route roughly every 15 minutes, and have the capacity to move up to 500 voters every hour. The shuttles also ran on Friday, Nov. 2, the last day of early voting, and carried around 2,000 people to the polls.

Peña also credited volunteers like Hanson with making the service work. He said it was “a lot of older folks” who stepped up to the plate.

“These folks decided their best use of time was being out here getting students to vote,” he said.

Where do Austin's mayoral candidates stand on public safety issues?

Posted November 5, 2024 at 2:31 PM CST

Austin has seen meteoric growth over the past decade and a half, and its police department has found itself rethinking its priorities to address public safety amid the influx of newcomers.

KUT News asked the five candidates for Austin mayor where they stand on the issues of police staffing, crime and safety, law and order, 911 response, the police labor contract and how they would broadly address public safety during a potential term in office.

Click each candidate's name to read what they said.

30 minutes to vote at Buda Oaks polling location in Hays County

Posted November 5, 2024 at 1:33 PM CST

Where do Austin's mayoral candidates stand on transportation issues?

Posted November 5, 2024 at 1:02 PM CST

Austin's mayor plays a powerful role in shaping how we get around the city and has an influential voice at City Hall. The City Council gets to appoint one of its own to the Austin Transit Partnership, the agency designing and building a multibillion-dollar light-rail network. So far, that's always been the mayor.

KUT News asked all the candidates about some of the biggest transportation issues including Project Connect, the I-35 expansion, the airport expansion, the fight to reduce congestion on roads, and the push for more road space for cyclists and pedestrians (and buses).

Click each candidate's name to read what they said.

Mayoral campaigns are making a final push at Southpark Meadows polling place

Posted November 5, 2024 at 12:44 PM CST

Southpark Meadows was one of the busiest polling stations late Tuesday morning with some voters saying they waited 30 minutes to cast a ballot — even though nearby polling stations had no lines.

Those lines at Southpark Meadows are a draw for political campaigns looking to make a last minute pitch.

Austin Mayoral candidate Carmen Llanes Pulido was standing just outside the 100 foot campaign-free zone and talking to voters.

"This location in Southpark Meadows has been one of the busiest throughout early voting, and here on Election Day we're seeing it as well," she said. "I think it's a sort of underestimated site."

Campaigns for mayoral hopefuls Kathie Tovo and Doug Greco were also making last second pitches as voters headed in to cast a ballot.

Voters with whom KUT spoke said their top priorities included the economy and abortion rights with draws being candidates for U.S. president and U.S. senator from Texas. Several folks voting at Akins High School said they were there to weigh in on the Austin ISD tax rate election.

“I was hoping to see some improvement with Austin ISD,” he Alex Loreto, who was born and raised in Austin. “We are sending (a lot) of money to other districts… and it's time to bring back that money to Austin and invest in our actual schools, teachers and buildings. I’m tired of putting my money into someone else’s district.”

AISD schools are closed to students today, but teachers and staff are working. Some stood in line waiting to cast ballots.

This Williamson County woman got to vote where she works

Posted November 5, 2024 at 12:21 PM CST

Lori Ferguson said she arrived at NorthStar Georgetown, her workplace and polling location, at around 5:30 a.m. so she could be the first in line to vote. Now, she's helping direct others to the polls. There is a steady stream of people voting here today, but there aren't any big crowds or lines. Right now, it's about a 0-15 minute wait.

Where do Austin’s mayoral candidates stand on housing issues?

Posted November 5, 2024 at 12:00 PM CST

The biggest impact of Austin’s transformation from a college town to a hub for tech companies is, arguably, the city’s housing prices. Since 2000, the median price of rent has more than doubled and a larger share of renters spend more than a third of their income on rent and utilities.

Housing policies are largely governed by local elected officials, so as voters head to the polls, it's helpful to know what candidates are thinking about housing.

While the mayor’s vote does not outweigh those of any council member, the person in this role leads the body. KUT News sent the five mayoral candidates four questions about housing affordability, land use changes, rent assistance and homelessness. We also included an open-ended question: What would be your biggest housing policy as mayor?

Click each candidate's name to read what they said.

Travis County Proposition A is about affordable child care

Posted November 5, 2024 at 11:31 AM CST
Travis County Proposition A asks voters to approve a 2.5 cent per $100 valuation tax increase to expand affordable child care options.
Patricia Lim
/
KUT News
Travis County Proposition A asks voters to approve a 2.5 cent per $100 valuation tax increase to expand affordable child care options.

Travis County is asking voters to approve a tax rate increase this election to address the growing need for affordable child care.

The ballot measure — Travis County Proposition A — comes at a cost to taxpayers. If the 2.5 cent per $100 valuation tax rate increase passes, it’ll add about $126 to the average Travis County homeowner’s annual property tax bill. (Renters will indirectly pay for that added cost through their rent.)

Here's what the money from the measure would go to if it's approved:

  • Fund about 1,900 new slots for infants and toddlers, and 3,900 slots for after-school and summer programs
  • Fill funding gaps in the state’s child care subsidy program
  • Help child care centers expand their hours beyond the typical 9-5 workday
  • Create a program that would incentivize companies to make child care an employee benefit

What people are saying about child care in Travis County:

  • Travis County Judge Andy Brown estimates almost 3,000 kids under 3 lack access to child care, and there’s a two-year-long waitlist for affordable options.
  • According to Texas Workforce Commission, the Austin area has the most expensive child care costs in the state, above more populated metro areas including Dallas and Houston.
  • For reference: the average annual cost is about $13,000 — comparable to the cost of a year of in-state tuition at UT Austin.

Read more about Travis County Prop A.

More than 30,000 people have cast their ballots in Travis County today

Posted November 5, 2024 at 11:07 AM CST

Some lines at the polls might look empty this morning but don’t be fooled!

As of 10 a.m., over 30,000 people voted in person in Travis County according to the County Clerk’s Office.

They are expecting more than 100,000 people to cast ballots today.

No line at Bedichek Middle School

Posted November 5, 2024 at 10:58 AM CST

Why are you voting? Here's what some people told us

Posted November 5, 2024 at 10:47 AM CST

While there are many races on the ballot this year, some people are in line for specific measures. Here's what a few people shared after voting at the Pan Am Rec Center this morning.

Donna Vera works at Zavala Elementary and said she came out to vote "for the president and mostly for Prop A.”

Conner Kraft said he always votes out of a sense of civic duty. This election is “a big one after the past few years ... especially after Biden dropping out midway through. The big thing is just everyone should vote.”

Weston Sabattus also voted this morning, but said he doesn’t expect to know the results of the presidential race today.

“I think it’s gonna come down to Pennsylvania, Wisconsin. I think it will take toward the end of the week to count. I think by the end of the day we’ll have a good idea but it won’t be official till Friday?”

Austin-area educators ask voters to approve tax rate to bump up pay

Posted November 5, 2024 at 10:22 AM CST
Children sit at tables in a classroom
Renee Dominguez
/
KUT News
Austin ISD voters are deciding whether to approve a tax rate increase that would generate additional revenue for the district, which faces a $119 million budget deficit.

The school boards in Austin ISD and Manor ISD each called tax rate elections for Nov. 5 to help cover the cost of raising staff salaries. Both districts are facing multimillion-dollar budget deficits.

And they're not alone. According to the Texas Association of School Business Officials, the school boards for more than 50 public school districts in the state put VATREs on the ballot last year.

TASBO Deputy Executive Director Amanda Brownson said the main reason boards ask voters to approve a new tax rate is because public school funding isn’t keeping up with inflation.

How large are the deficits?

  • Austin ISD has a $119 million budget deficit. If the tax rate election fails, the only pay increase full-time employees will get this school year is a one-time payment of $500.
  • Manor ISD has a $20.8 million deficit but managed to afford a 1% raise for staff. The district plans to offer higher raises if voters approve its proposed tax rate.

How much would the propositions raise if approved?

  • In Austin ISD, an approved tax increase would generate $171 million in new revenue for Austin ISD, but the district will only keep $41 million of it. The rest is subject to the state’s recapture system, which redistributes what the state’s school finance formulas say is excess funding from property wealthy school districts to ones with lower property values.
  • In Manor ISD, the new tax rate, if approved, would generate $4.8 million in new revenue. The district is not subject to the recapture program.

KUT News spoke with teachers in both districts about how they're looking at these tax rate elections, as well as a group of former trustees that has raised concerns about the election and the state's recapture program.

17 candidates are running to represent Austin’s City Council districts

Posted November 5, 2024 at 9:33 AM CST

You will see one of these races on your ballot only if you live in Districts 2, 4, 6, 7 or 10.

Not sure which district you’re in? Check out this map.

We asked all the candidates to come to the station to tell us where they stand on three big issues: housing, transit and homelessness. Twelve of them participated.

To watch the video responses from your district's candidates, click the link below:

Note: We invited all candidates to record these videos as a way to introduce themselves to potential voters. We didn’t fact-check their statements, and we don’t endorse their positions.

5 people are running to become Austin's next mayor

Posted November 5, 2024 at 9:09 AM CST
A collage of all five mayoral candidates' portraits edited together.
Collage by Deborah Cannon
/
KUT News
The five candidates for mayor are Doug Greco (top left), Jeffery Bowen (bottom left), Kirk Watson (center), Kathie Tovo (center right) and Carmen Llanes Pulido.

The Austin mayoral race is one of the biggest local races on the ballot for city residents. Throughout the election season, we spoke with the candidates about their views on transportation, housing and public safety issues.

Want to read up on the candidates? Here is KUT News' past coverage:

  • Kirk Watson — the incumbent since 2022. Watson previously served as mayor from 1997 to 2001, when he stepped down to run for state office. He served as a state senator for more than 13 years before returning to the job of mayor.
  • Kathie Tovo — a former City Council member. Tovo served from 2011 to 2023, representing parts of downtown and Central Austin. She was mayor pro tem from 2015 to 2018, taking on the duties of the mayor when he was absent.
  • Carmen Llanes Pulido — leader of the local advocacy group Go Austin/Vamos Austin. Llanes Pulido grew up in East Austin and has been a voice around quality of life issues, including affordable housing, disaster preparedness, and how those matters impact underserved communities.
  • Doug Greco — former lead organizer and executive director of Central Texas Interfaith. Greco was head of Central Texas Interfaith for 12 years. The nonprofit addresses issues that impact the well-being of families, such as homelessness and affordability.
  • Jeffery Bowen — owner of a small construction company in Austin. Bowen is also a member of the Austin Neighborhood Association. He serves on the city's board of adjustment and has lived in Austin for at least 35 years, according to his application.

Travis County wait times

Posted November 5, 2024 at 8:30 AM CST

If you get to a polling place and the line is long, you can use the map below to see if wait times are shorter at another location nearby.

You can vote at any polling place in Travis County

Posted November 5, 2024 at 8:06 AM CST

What you can and can't bring to the polls

Posted November 5, 2024 at 7:33 AM CST
Travis County voters stand in line and look down at their phones during early voting in South Austin on Oct. 22.
Patricia Lim
/
KUT News
If you want to have notes to help you cast your ballot, make sure you write them down or print them out. Cellphones are not permitted, so you shouldn't rely on your notes app.

First thing, first. You're going to need an accepted form of identification to vote.

Be sure to have one of these before you head to the polls:

  • Texas driver's license
  • Texas election identification certificate
  • Texas personal identification card
  • Texas handgun license
  • U.S. military identification card with your picture
  • U.S. citizenship certificate with your picture
  • U.S. passport

If you're between the ages of 18 and 69, these IDs can be expired up to four years. If you are 70 or older, your ID can be expired for any length of time.

Trying to remember who you want to vote for? Write it down

Cellphones, cameras, laptops and any type of recorder are not allowed within 100 feet of a polling place. If you have your phone, you'll be asked to put it in your pocket or bag, so do not rely on it to help you vote. Instead, print out or write down notes you need for filling out your ballot.

What you wear matters — to some extent

Electioneering is prohibited in Texas, which means you can't wear a T-shirt, hat or any accessory related to a candidate, political party or measure that is currently on the ballot.

However, if you're still in the Halloween spirit or want to vote in drag, both of those are allowed, as reported by KUT's Maya Fawaz.

Polls are open!

Posted November 5, 2024 at 7:03 AM CST

Polls opened at 7 a.m. across Texas this morning.

Travis County has one of the highest percentages of registered voters in the state, with 96.3% of eligible voters registered. After early voting ended, 480,000 people — or roughly 52% — of voters had cast their ballots.

If you did not cast your ballot during early voting, today is your last chance to do so for this election. Travis County Clerk Dyana Limon-Mercado told KUT's Luz Moreno-Lozano that between 100,000 and 200,000 people are expected to vote today and they "should expect to wait in a line."

But remember, as long as you're in line by 7 p.m. you will be able to cast your ballot.

Election Day is here! Follow along for coverage in the Austin area

Posted November 5, 2024 at 6:32 AM CST

Today is Election Day! In addition to the presidential race, Texans will vote for a U.S. senator and weigh in on a number of statewide positions.

In Austin, voters will choose a candidate for mayor, Travis County district attorney and a couple of City Council seats. They will also decide whether to say yes or no to multimillion-dollar funding proposals for schools and child care.

If you're heading to the polls, be sure to check out our county-specific voter guides before you get there.

Stick with us throughout the day for updates from our reporters, as well as resources on where to vote and how your vote will be counted.

Remember, polls are open until 7 p.m. and as long as you are in line by then, you will still be allowed to cast your ballot.