We offer detailed reasons behind our Editorial Board endorsements in the general election in this annotated version; this version is for voters looking to take a printed, streamlined copy to the ballot box. 2021 May Election Calendar / Calendario Electoral de Mayo 2021 Information will continually be updated as we approach the 2021 Election. We've endorsed both Israel and Kirk Watson before, including when he was first elected mayor, but not when he was reelected (with 84%, against Leslie Cochran and others) in 2000. Two proposed amendments one regarding religious . I just wish to clear some things that have been weighing heavily off my chest. Incumbent Trustees Danielle Weston and Mary Bone and their supporters have wreaked havoc on a board that otherwise reflects the diverse mixed-income school district that includes a large chunk of North Austin. Round Rock ISDCandidates to participate in election forum at Kalahari Resorts. She devoted herself to helping D3 residents during Winter Storm Uri and no doubt has bright prospects as a leader in Austin elected or otherwise. From city proposals to city council members, voters have the opportunity to determine the fate of several local races in just under a month. In Austin, voters will also elect a new mayor, choose candidates for five City Council and four Austin school board seats and consider three bond proposals. Do you know who your Austin City Council member is? For this new civil court, we will go through the usual exercise of electing a Democrat to replace the appointed Republican Cleve Doty and we wish Eiserloh, who is now a familiar face and name all over town from her 2020 campaign for county attorney (where we endorsed her and then co-endorsed in the run-off), the best of success on this bench. The governor is up for election, Austinites are choosing a new mayor, and there are some notable bonds on the ballot, including one to fund affordable housing projects in Austin. of his ex took the money his contribution, meant for the wedding and gave it to some else, which he . Candidates addressed priority issues such as transportation, housing and policing during a forum hosted by KUT and the Austin Monitor. Austin ISD Prop A, B, C: FOR. The man behind "Fix the Damn Grid" has been running for this job now for eight years, coming quite close to unseating carnival barker Dan Patrick in 2018 and never breaking stride since. But you can find out what exactly will be on your ballot and decide who or what youre voting for ahead of time. (Austin Westphal/News Staff) Find that here. Friday, Feb. 18 will be the last day to apply for mail-in ballots. We can help. Voting locations will be open Monday-Saturday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 12 to 6 p.m. Where: Early voting locations include Austin City Hall, the Eanes ISD administration building. Go here to verify your registration. Leander Voted to Keep Cap Metro, but Will Manor and Lago Vista? Shes also your go-to pick if youre looking for a young millennial activist to fill the Greg Casar slot, rather than providing Chito Vela with a natural ally. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. We can help. TX-17: Mary Jo Woods Please contact Elections@austintexas.gov for any election related questions. Copyright 1981-2023 Austin Chronicle Corp. All rights reserved. A general election runoff was scheduled for December 13, 2022. Mayor: Celia Israel. While incumbent Council members Natasha Harper-Madison (District 1) and Paige Ellis (District 8) won reelection, the rest of the contests weren't as clear. Watch: Abbott and O'Rourke debate in only matchup ahead of November election, Hundreds of volunteers will fan out on San Marcos waterways Saturday to clean up trash, UTEP hosting Borderland Chopin Festival honoring a poet of the piano, Hoping to retain staff, Austin gives police officers a 4% raise, Detrs del proceso 'desordenado' para elegir al prximo responsable del metro ligero de Austin, Watch: Where candidates running for Austin City Council District 1 stand on three big issues, Submit your questions and join us for forums with the candidates running for Austin City Council, Immigration, guns and abortion dominate Abbott, ORourke debate in the Rio Grande Valley. Embattled Texas AG Paxton's fundraising was drying up. A one-stop voter guide for everything you need to know about the upcoming elections and voting in Texas - from KVUE in Austin, Texas According to The Texas Tribune, the voter must designate a representative to submit the application and doctor's note in person to the countys early voting clerk before 5 p.m. on Election Day. 866-462-8784 or 512-474-5171. At-Large Place 9: Arati Singh. Here you go.). Just scroll down and enter your name and birthday. Austin has a great record when it comes to voter registration; more . Celia Israel: This election is about who can afford to live here, and who gets to decide, A hospital-based pediatrician explains steps we can take to prevent the next tragedy, Nonprofit Texas Gun Sense responds to Uvalde, From Congress to land commissioner, here are our picks, Pro-legalization and pro-freedom folks see eye to eye on the May 7 ballot, Early Voting April 25-May 3 Election Day May 7, Yup. Here's what you need to cast your ballot in Central Texas. The Chronicle Editorial Board makes these recommendations. It's a job that requires an enormous amount of political savvy at the moment, and Limon-Mercado, former chair of the county Democratic Party and the head of Planned Parenthood's Texas political arm, has plenty of that as well as demonstrated competence as an administrator. A note to readers: Bold and uncensored, The Austin Chronicle has been Austins independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the communitys political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene. For more information, including polling locations, visit the Travis County Clerk's website. Remember when this was a job where one needed to love Texas' lands, and not just political power and prospective Alamo profits and guns? (Are you a Williamson County resident? We talk to our reps about their priorities going into the new session, One click gets you all the newsletters listed below, Breaking news, arts coverage, and daily events. Voters 70 or older can bring a photo ID that has been expired for any length of time. Every other statewide executive position is also on the ballot. In-person early voting: Thursday, December 1, through Friday, December 9 But what do Latino voters want? Our land use policy and practice is still weak, obsolete, and broken, not just creating suboptimal outcomes as in the Nineties but imposing immediate and grievous costs on people who literally cannot find a place to live. Eric Goodman's Austin FC column, other soccer news, All questions answered (satisfaction not guaranteed). Candidate Scrubs Suspected Coup Planner From His Timeline. Zwiener who upset Bell-Metereau four years ago to claim the Dem nomination and then win this Hays County seat has also benefited from the new map with a district now firmly anchored in the Buda/Kyle suburbs (i.e., far-far South Austin) and in the college community in San Marcos. Austin ISD Prop A, B, C: FOR, Trustee Place 6: Steve Jackobs Longtimer Doggett and Three Political Outsiders Vie to Represent the Newly Formed 37th Congressional District, Inside the Central Texas Congressional Map, The Gloves Come Off in Travis County Precinct 4 Race, Austin at Large: Seek, Matt, and Ye Shall Find, Local Candidates Launch Their 2022 Campaigns, Texas Primaries Loom as Redistricting Lawsuits Drop, County Commissioners Tout Successes, Face Challengers, Election Ticker: Race for Austin's Next Mayor Heats Up, Seven Candidates Vie for the Future of District 4. You can bring voting-day essentials like: You can't have materials regarding a candidate or political party within 100 feet or inside a polling center, and you cant use these items within that perimeter: There will be markers signaling the 100-feet perimeter. Email address is elections@austintexas.gov. Find the Chronicles endorsements (with detailed explanations) here. Let us be real and acknowledge that neither Watson nor Israel has as tight and powerful a grasp of the tools arrayed at City Hall as we hoped we'd see in this race. Six people are vying to be the next mayor of Austin. Visit austinchronicle.com/austin-music-awards to see winners. Also on the ballot: a $2.44 billion bond package for Austin schools, the largest in district history. ACC Prop A: FOR. In a perfect world they'd also share space on the dais, but we must choose. District 8: Paige Ellis Right now this is primarily seen as the DWI court, and Espiritu may be the best-regarded DWI defense lawyer in the county. This seven-candidate field (we talked to six) to succeed retiring Rep. Eddie Rodriguez, now running for Congress, is amazingly qualified, and we thought this would be for sure a double or even triple endorsement. District 5: Ryan Alter. Below is your Republican guide: In support of informed voting, the Houston Chronicle Editorial Board interviewed candidates in more than 60 races to make the following recommendations in contested Harris County races. You may notice that none of these endorsements have changed from our general election endorsements. District 4: Kathryn Whitley Chu The ballot must be returned by the same representative before 7 p.m. on Election Day to be counted. Legal documents to use in absence of an ID, Any other device that can record sound or capture images. We normally just say, "Vote for the Democrats," when, as has been the case for the last 25 years, there has not been a Republican worth voting for, or a Dem who needed voting against. Eric Goodman's Austin FC column, other soccer news, All questions answered (satisfaction not guaranteed). See the complete list of winners in the Austin Music Awards. Note we said "new" rather than "next" we envision the trio of Casar, Lloyd Doggett, and Joaquin Castro superheroically strafing their bumbling GOP colleagues daily while also leading toward better workers' rights and wages, and health care for all. ACC Reopens Historic Campus Ahead of Bond Election, Book Bans Take Center Stage in Leander ISD, Election Ticker: The Ups and Downs of Watson's Ad and More, Ken Paxtons Lawyers Keep Flubbing, but He Might Not Appear Anyway, Election Ticker: Southwest Council Races Illuminate Dual Political Divides, Unions Bet on Mayoral Candidate Kirk Watson, Election Ticker: Erica Nix Drops Out, Poll Watchers Get Trained and More, Local Elections Herald Epic Changes in the Capital City, Kirk Watson and Celia Israel Lead Pack for the Next Mayor of Crisis City, Gentrification and Affordability Shapes the District 1 and 3 Races, Homelessness and Mobility Top District 5 and 8 Issues, Urbanists Challenge Linda Guerrero for District 9 Hot Seat, Solid Candidates Find Their Way to AISD Board Races, Wingnut Crusaders Want All of Round Rock ISD, AISD's Largest Bond Ever to Fix Infrastructure Comes to the Polls, Back on the Ballot: More Subsidized Housing, A Primer on the Political Landscape in Central Texas, Everything You Need to Know About Your First Austin Election, "Can I Get an Abortion in Austin?" To find out what exactly will be on your ballot and to read about each candidate, check out the League of Women Voters Vote 411 guide. Voters can ask an election officer to bring a ballot to their parked car in the designated curbside voting location. We get it, justice reform means decarceration and restorative justice for everybody. Ag Commissioner: Susan Hays * Editors note, Friday, Oct. 28, 6:25pm: An updated list of recommended candidates to elect in Round Rock ISD has now been added. The two frontrunners have made history as current Mayor Lori Lightfoot - who is the first Black woman and openly gay mayor - conceded the race shortly. SD24: Kathy Jones-Hospod Please contact Elections@austintexas.gov for any election related questions. Copyright 1981-2023 Austin Chronicle Corp. All rights reserved. News Sports Hookem.com Austin360 Opinion Advertise Obituaries eNewspaper Legals Subscribe Copyright 1981-2023 Austin Chronicle Corp. All rights reserved. Can't keep up with happenings around town? 2: Brigid Lester are expecting to give birth within three weeks before or after Election Day. The incumbent has provoked some folks with her ideas and exasperated some others with her approach to governing, but she has also risen to the occasion and shouldered the several burdens that City Hall and Austin at large felt a need to place upon the one Black Council member, and the most prominent Black woman in local politics, over a term made chaotic by pandemics and police racism and violence. Submit yours now at austinchronicle.com/opinion. Starting. In order to be a candidate a person must: Be a U.S. Citizen; Support the Chronicle, Pro-policing GOP-aligned campaigners crash into citys fiscal reality on Election Day, Spoiler alert: Good has triumphed over evil, With early voting underway, campaigns for, against Proposition A heat up, November 2021 Statewide General Election and City of Austin Special Election, A closer look at Austin's growing number of homicides, City seeks voters OK of Lakeshore Blvd. Place 6: Tiffanie Harrison. Legitimate poll watcher or voting intimidation wheres the line? Early voting starts Monday and continues through Nov. 4. Jinny Suh, director of Immunize Texas, is also a strong choice. By. Hunter taught in AISD until 2015, is a current AISD parent, and has a fiery frankness that we think needs to be heard on a board that's gone along meekly with misguided plans of recent superintendents. A total of 5,009 people went to the polls Monday, a very solid turnout. Council District 5: Ryan Alter Three at-large seats on the Austin Community College Board of Trustees are up for election: Proposition A The $770 million bond would provide funding for new construction, campus upgrades and student support services, such as child care and student health services. Information is power. It was held on June 7, 2022, concurrent with the 2022 statewide primary elections. San Marcos Proposition A: FOR, Mayor: Celia Israel A note to readers: Bold and uncensored, The Austin Chronicle has been Austin's independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the community's political and environmental concerns and. This year, Texans will be casting their votes to choose candidates for some major positions, including the governor, lieutenant . The Chronicle welcomes opinion pieces on any topic from the community. One of those people is Celia Israel, who got noticed as she worked in the movements that would eventually make Watson's mayoralty possible. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. The filing location is the Office of the City Clerk, 301 W. Second St., Suite 2030, Austin, Texas 78701; Fax number (512) 974-2374. Make sure your county's elections office receives your ballot on or before Election Day. Court of Criminal Appeals, P5: No Endorsement Primary contest between Margaret Gmez, Susanna Ledesma-Woody heats up, In the battle for Texas' attention, Dowd and Mackowiak each amble toward the center, Off to the races with Greg Casar, Eddie Rodriguez, and Jose "Chito" Vela, The 2022 primaries are months away, but these Travis County commissioners are already drawing competition in their reelection bids, Vela wins District 4 special election in a landslide, Israel kicks off quest to make history in mayoral race, plus more news, Special election decides who will complete Greg Casar's term at City Hall, One click gets you all the newsletters listed below, Breaking news, arts coverage, and daily events. If approved, the bond would add two new campuses to South Austin and expand workforce development programs. Instead, he's moving down the street (and across the Travis County line) to represent the somewhat less suburban (and less Anglo) North Austin neighborhoods in the seat held by retiring Rep. Celia Israel, now running for mayor. If real news is important to you, please consider making a donation of $5, $10 or whatever you can afford, to help keep our journalism on stands. What you can and cant bring to the polls. 1-minute voter guide to the top statewide races Five questions with Austin mayoral candidate Jennifer Virden Five questions with Austin mayoral candidate Kirk Watson Five questions with Austin mayoral candidate Celia Israel Austin bonds on November ballots total more than $3B Get more local stories in your inbox with Axios Austin. The very first thing Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson spotted when she peered into the tiny cab of her place of job's most effective state automobile was once the guide window crank. We offer here the considered opinion of our Editorial Board in most of the contested races on the Democratic primary ballot (Republican voters, you're on your own; may the odds be ever in your favor). His campaign coalition of labor unions, Democratic clubs, elected officials, and prominent community leaders will hopefully form a foundation for organizing to address not only housing and affordability, but transportation and public safety challenges in D3. We knew Silva was good from the first round and shouted her out in our earlier endorsement, but we feel like we slept on Stephanie Bazan. All five of the other seats on the board are now up for election, and Weston and Bones allies the Round Rock One Family slate, including former Austin CM Don Zimmerman are truly steeped in evil as they try to QAnon their way into office. Implicit in all of our endorsements is our general presumption that unseating an incumbent is a higher bar to clear than staking a claim for an open seat. All information on this webpage is specific to the 2021 City of Austin Special Election and the Campaign Finance Filing Requirements. We hope that if elected she reaches for solutions appropriate to the scale of our emergency and acts with the urgency D9 residents need. HD47: Vikki Goodwin Watson was mayor of the city from 1997 to 2001 and is focused on tackling the rising cost of living, homelessness, public safety and transportation. Video! Lieutenant Governor: Mike Collier Five seats on the Austin ISD school board are up for election. Eric Goodman's Austin FC column, other soccer news, All questions answered (satisfaction not guaranteed). Dec. 14, 2022 Kirk Watson Wins Austin's Mayoral Race By Fewer Than 900 Votes New Council comes into focus in run-off election Dec. 13, 2022 Chronicle Endorsements for Austin City Council. Sunday, January 30, 2022 Last Day to Register to Vote in Primary Election. Submit yours now at austinchronicle.com/opinion. Chronicle Endorsements for Austin City Council Run-Off Election Early voting runs Dec. 1-9 ; election day is Dec. 13 7:00AM, Wed. Nov. 30, 2022 Tweet print write a letter Election day:. Support the Chronicle, One click gets you all the newsletters listed below, Breaking news, arts coverage, and daily events. The two not only spout know-nothing MAGAnational bullshit but also have tried to get the superintendent fired and the district taken over by the state. BURBANK, Calif. (AP) Tom Sizemore, the "Saving Private Ryan" actor whose bright 1990s star burned out under the weight of his own . It's currently held by Council Member Ann Kitchen. District 9 (dual): Ben Leffler, Linda Guerrero If they, as we suspect, end up in a run-off (civil rights super-lawyer Lee Merritt is the third possibility here) while Paxton also ends up in a run-off, we'll have a new frame of reference to revisit this race. Railroad Commissioner: Luke Warford Governor raceNRA, anti-Abbott groups spend big in the Texas governor race, Attorney general race:Abortion emerges as key issue in Texas attorney general race for Ken Paxton, Rochelle Garza. Please contact Elections@austintexas.gov with any election related questions. What's going on in the districts surrounding Austin? Day one of early voting in Travis County was quite impressive. AUSTIN, Texas - The November 2021 election will take place on Tuesday, November 2nd. She'll have a few more degrees of freedom to operate than has Steve Adler, and she should use them to do things as bold as she says Austin needs to be and which she herself needs to keep being. Daily News - The Austin Chronicle. Polling places will also be open on election day, June 7, for. Abbott Says Hell Yes to Probably Violating More Peoples Civil Rights, This Week in Ken Paxtons Brain: Sodomy, Austin at Large: Housing and the Mayors Race. Here's what's in it. Here's what they're all about. At-Large Place 9: Arati Singh Travis County will let you vote until 9 p.m. on certain days during early voting. City Clerk November 2022 Election All information on this webpage is specific to the November 2022 City of Austin Election and the Campaign Finance Filing Requirements. Austins next mayor will serve two years, not the usual four, As midterm elections near, Republicans try to make gains with Latinos in Texas Rio Grande Valley, Former Texas state Sen. Kirk Watson running for Austin mayor, government document showing your name and an address, such as your voter registration certificate. This is an interesting one. will be away from your county on Election Day and during early voting; are confined in jail, but eligible to vote; or. Having taught in AISD until last year, Chu has the most recent experience in its classrooms and deep convictions about the working conditions teachers deserve. If you don't find your districts listed below, that means they're not up for election in 2022. Make sure to bring a photo ID. Travis County Judge: Andy Brown Matt Worthington, Cody Arn, and Cynthia Valadez-Mata are also strong choices in this race. As a self-described urbanist, he represents a real change in direction after eight years of Kathie Tovo, and Linda Guerrero entered this race to provide a more status-quo alternative. Texas 2022 Primary Voter Guide: May 24 runoff election Texas Runoff Election Voter Guide A roundup of the candidates and key state and local primary races that your vote will decide in. Heres a map of Election Day locations. Working all day? All information on this webpage is specific to the January 2022 City of Austin Special Election and the Campaign Finance Filing Requirements. We backed Ben Leffler (who has endorsed Qadri) because we felt hed be the best all-around council member of the original eight. People who were here then still remember what it felt like to be a winner. OK, y'all are starting to tick us off, defense bar, for continuing to go after Malhotra for being an advocate for survivors of intimate partner violence, the focus of this misdemeanor specialty court. We were also impressed with Daniela Silva, who demonstrated a deep knowledge of Austin's housing issues and compassion for our unhoused neighbors. Hays Commissioner Pct. Ben Leffler's campaign outshines the packed field of D9 candidates, including Guerrero, who is the anointed successor to Kathie Tovo, stepping down after a decade on Council. A note to readers: Bold and uncensored, The Austin Chronicle has been Austin's independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the community's political and environmental concerns and . Marisa Charpentier is KUT's assistant digital editor.