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Williamson County Voter Guide: What you need to know to vote today

Signs that say "Vote Here" are in front of a building in Williamson County.
Julia Reihs
/
KUT News
Signs that say "Vote Here" are seen in front of a Williamson County building and polling location.

Election Day is May 6, and multiple fast-growing school districts in Williamson County have bond propositions on the ballot.

Here's what you need to know to vote in Williamson County. (If you're in Travis County, go here. If you're in Hays County, go here.)

Am I registered to vote?

First, make sure you’re registered. Go here to verify your registration. The deadline to register, for this election, has passed.

When and where can I vote?

Early voting ran Monday, April 24, to Tuesday, May 2. Election Day is Saturday, May 6.

If you're registered to vote in Williamson County, you can vote at any of the county's polling locations. A list of locations and their hours can be found here.

Don’t forget your ID

Make sure to bring a photo ID. Find a list of acceptable ones here. The ID should be up to date or can be expired up to four years. Voters 70 or older can bring a photo ID that has been expired for any length of time.

If you had trouble getting an ID and don’t have one, here are some alternatives:

  • government document showing your name and an address, such as your voter registration certificate
  • current utility bill
  • bank statement
  • government check
  • paycheck
  • birth certificate

If you use one of these, you’ll have to sign a form that says you had a reasonable impediment to getting an ID.

Voting by mail

If you’re a registered voter in Texas, you can vote by mail if you:

  • will be away from your county on Election Day and during early voting;
  • are sick or disabled;
  • are 65 or older on Election Day; 
  • are confined in jail, but eligible to vote; or
  • are expecting to give birth within three weeks before or after Election Day.

Williamson County residents can print and fill out an application to vote by mail here. The deadline to apply to vote by mail was Tuesday, April 25.

When filling out a mail-in ballot, use black or blue ink and follow the instructions to deliver it on time. Make sure the county's elections office receives your ballot on or before Election Day. You can mail in your ballot or hand deliver the sealed envelope to the county elections office. You'll need to show ID if you go in person.

The League of Women Voters has put together a detailed guide to voting by mail for Central Texas voters here.

What's on my ballot?

To see what's on your specific ballot, go here and fill out your information.

Here's an overview of what you might see:

Hutto ISD

The Hutto Independent School District has a $522 million bond on the ballot to "address current and future enrollment growth." It is split into three propositions:

  • Proposition A includes $471.5 million for school facilities, the purchase of necessary sites for school facilities, district-wide technology upgrades, and buses and satellite operations.
  • Proposition B includes $10.5 million for instructional technology devices.
  • Proposition C includes $40 million for a district academic center.

Hutto ISD's superintendent, Celina Estrada Thomas, said she expects the district's current student population — estimated to be around 9,800 — to double over the next 10 years.
"The main driver for bond 2023 is definitely growth," she said. "Hutto ISD is the fourth fastest-growing school district in Central Texas."

More information about the bond package can be found here.

Jarrell ISD

The Jarrell Independent School District has a $324.6 million bond on the ballot. Proposition A includes funds for school facilities, the purchase of necessary sites for school facilities, technology and buses.

More information about the bond package can be found here.

Leander ISD

The Leander Independent School District has a $762.8 million bond on the ballot. It is split into three propositions.

  • Proposition A includes $698.3 million for school facilities, including repurposing, the purchase of necessary sites for school facilities, and buses and vehicles.
  • Proposition B includes $50.8 million for technology equipment and technology infrastructure.
  • Proposition C includes $13.6 million for renovations to the Don Tew Performing Arts Center and the South Performing Arts Center.

"We're trying to address three top needs," Leander ISD spokesperson Crestina Hardie told KUT. "Safety and security, renovation of facilities, as well as new buildings, and the replacement of devices and infrastructure."
More information about the bond package can be found here.

Liberty Hill ISD

The Liberty Hill Independent School District has a $471.1 million bond on the ballot. It is spilt into three propositions.

  • Proposition A includes $459 million for school facilities; district-wide safety and security; expansions related to fine arts education, academics and enrichment programming; and career and technical education (CTE) facilities.
  • Proposition B includes $7.1 million for laptops, tablets and other technology devices for students and staff.
  • Proposition C includes $5 million for an additional concession stand and restroom at the Liberty Hill High School Stadium and the replacement of turf on the field.

More information about the bond package can be found here.

Liberty Hill ISD also has two school board places up for election.

Pflugerville ISD

The Pflugerville Independent School District has three school board positions up for election:

City of Austin

Propositions A and B on Austinites' ballots are pretty much identical, but they're the result of two petition drives from two very different groups with very different views on police oversight.

  • Proposition A seeks to give more power to the Office of Police Oversight and the citizen-led panel that reviews incidents of police misconduct.
  • Proposition B would restrict the power of both the Office of Police oversight and the city's citizen-led panel.

Read more about the props and how they came about here.

City of Round Rock

Two propositions are on the ballot for Round Rock voters:

  • Proposition A asks voters to decide if the city should issue a $230 million bond for city parks and recreation. That would pay for new facilities like a recreation center, improvements to existing infrastructure and drainage equipment.
  • Proposition B asks voters if the city should issue a $44 million bond for public safety projects like improving its current safety training center and adding and relocating fire stations.

Other elections

Florence and Granger also have municipal propositions on the ballot.

Florence, Georgetown, Hutto, Round Rock, Taylor and Thrall also have a mayoral and/or council seats up for election.

The Coupland, Florence, Georgetown, Granger, Taylor and Thorndale ISDs all have at least one school board place up for election.

If you found this reporting valuable, please consider making a donation to support it. Your gift pays for everything you find on KUT.org. Thanks for donating today.

Kailey Hunt is KUT's Williamson County reporter. Got a tip? Email her at khunt@kut.org. Follow her on Twitter @KaileyEHunt.
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