Republican Mike VanDeWalle and Democrat Celia Israel face off in a special election for District 50 today.
The seat opened when former HD 50 Rep. Mark Strama, stepped down to take a job with Google Fiber. But some worry that the cold weather will have a negative impact on the election.
Icy road conditions have closed polling stations at school campuses in the Manor, Elgin, and Austin independent school districts. But Travis County Assistant Director of Elections Michelle Parker says that shouldn’t matter.
“Voters can vote on Election Day at any voting station – anywhere they see a ‘Vote Here’ sign – so they’re not restricted to only their home precinct,” Parker says. “So despite the fact that eight of our polling locations were closed due to inclement weather, there are still 28 other vote centers that are open throughout the HD 50 district.”
You can see a map of polling locations here.
The Elections Office does not plan to extend voting hours or open any new polling stations to voters. Voting will continue until 7 p.m. this evening.
