austin chronicle voting guide austin chronicle voting guide

Council District 1: Natasha Harper-Madison All information on this webpage is specific to the 2021 City of Austin Special Election and the Campaign Finance Filing Requirements. HD51: Lulu Flores 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. Last year, two-thirds of voters supported Proposition D, which moves the citys mayoral elections to the same year as presidential elections. Here who's on the ballot in November's midterm election: Austin mayoral debate:5 things we learned from the candidates, District 1 race:Austin City Council incumbent Harper-Madison aims for second term, District 3 raceRunoff likely in District 3 election as six candidates battle for open seat, District 5 raceAustin City Council seat up for grabs with Ann Kitchen leaving office, District 8 raceAustin City Council incumbent Paige Ellis facing three challengers, District 9 race:Big field of Austin City Council candidates focused on city's housing policies. Here you go.). There is no currently active politician whose career has been more interwoven with the Chronicle's advocacy journalism than Brigid Shea, the hero of the Save Our Springs movement and a highly productive disruptor at City Hall in the 1990s. Of the remaining candidates, Jennifer Virden has some credible housing ideas, but is Republican enough that she stands too close to the treason and racist violence and is thus disqualified. Velsquez and Daniela Silva clearly not only agree with each other but like each other, so does it matter which one wins? In-person early voting: Thursday, December 1, through Friday, December 9 The story is bizarre read more and will surely be amusing on TV, but Judge Catherine Mauzy is living it right now, y'all, and needs your support. Austin is now working to house 3,000 people over the next three years. Subsidizing income-restricted housing at the $350 million level of this (third) bond in the last decade is just something we must do, and/but it's only about a third of what we and the new Council need to initiate. The Chronicle welcomes opinion pieces on any topic from the community. Craig, who has worked in Kitchen's office for five years, would move much more deliberately but would champion and, most likely, bring to fruition the small-area planning that Kitchen's side of the Code Wars has sought for decades opening the door for a mapless code scenario that can fix problems with Austin's regulatory regime in general without provoking protests from angry property owners. Legal documents to use in absence of an ID, Any other device that can record sound or capture images. This is where some of you may have wanted us to make a change, but weve now met twice with Zohaib Qadri and still arent convinced. You cannot, however, use your cellphone or another electronic device at the polling site. Email address is elections@austintexas.gov. The League of Women Voters has put together a detailed guide to voting by mail for Central Texas voters here. Council District 5: Ryan Alter When we met with the candidates back in October, we invited her and Kirk Watson (and Jennifer Virden, who did not respond) in and had time to get answers from each to most of the questions that were going to steer our endorsement. Sure, its 2019 and the Constitution is still relevant, but I do think we need . The list did not belong on our Endorsements page, and does not stand up to the standards weve set for ourselves in issuing endorsements, and for these reasons, weve removed the list from this page. - Staff Reporter, Atlanta Business Chronicle. We can help. Six candidates are vying for this seat representing South Austin on the City Council. Submit yours now at austinchronicle.com/opinion. Here is his Q&A with Jacob Bartelson. TROUBLESOME EX. District 9: Linda Guerrero. 6 judge whose Project Engage has kept hundreds of youthful offenders out of jail is the best prepared candidate to move up to the felony bench and continue that work. Legitimate poll watcher or voting intimidation wheres the line? She is justly proud of being a local pioneer in climate action while many of her enviro colleagues were still focused on naturalist conservation efforts. 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. Tom Sizemore, 'Saving Private Ryan' actor, dies at 61. Coupled with the long, hard hours he has put in meeting with organizers, business owners, and advocates inside and outside the district, we feel Velsquez is best positioned to navigate the complex challenges facing D3, the vanguard of gentrification in Austin both north and south of the river. Guerrero has not yet found her rhythm as a politician, but she's definitely done the homework. District 6: Andrew Gonzalez Can't keep up with happenings around town? Greg Abbott vs. Democrat Beto O'Rourke. Someday, one of those movies will be made about Judge Madeleine Connor, the exception to Travis County's good judgment that proves the rule. For his trouble, he attracted a risible vanity challenge from Bush-era talking head Matthew Dowd, then a less risible but still issue-free challenge from Texas Democratic Party Vice Chair Carla Brailey and state Rep. Michelle Beckley either of whom would be credible alternatives if they'd begun running eight years ago rather than eight weeks. Williams got some bad press in the national media regarding the latter, but she convinced us that she views housing as a civil rights issue and has acted carefully in that role. Statesman: Vote AGAINST Prop H. This initiative would provide publicly-funded $25 vouchers for Austin voters to support the mayoral or City Council campaigns of their choice. Early Voting Information for the March 2022 Primary, Answers to Your Questions About Voting by Mail. Remember when this was a job where one needed to love Texas' lands, and not just political power and prospective Alamo profits and guns? Travis County Clerk: Dyana Limon-Mercado Matt Worthington, Cody Arn, and Cynthia Valadez-Mata are also strong choices in this race. Five seats on the Austin school district's Board of Trustees are up for election: How to sell a $2.44B school bond?Make sure voters know what they're getting. State Board of Education, District 5: Rebecca Bell-Metereau, 3rd Court of Appeals, P4: Rosa Lopez Theofanis, Travis County Justice of the Peace, Precinct 2: Randall Slagle, Hays Commissioner Pct. Early Voting Is Off and Running. Jay Kleberg does, and he has that love, and has shown it to Texans as a conservationist and environmentalist for a long time (offsetting the right-wing tilt of his prominent family, owners of the King Ranch), and has the sustainability to put up a credible challenge in November. Copyright 1981-2023 Austin Chronicle Corp. All rights reserved. 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. But there are many more! 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. 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. Austin Chronicle Voting Guide Recommendations Austin Chronicle Voting Guide Recommendations For sale Marketplace classified ad of the Austin Chronicle Classifieds Austin TX. If you have not mailed your ballot by election day, we recommend that you hand-deliver it to the clerks office. Travis Justice of the Peace, Precinct 2: Randall Slagle, Williamson County Judge: Blane Conklin 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. We can help. District 9 (dual): Ben Leffler, Linda Guerrero austin chronicle voting guide 2021 endorsements Posted at May 21, 2021 Chronicle Endorsements for the May 1 City of Austin Special Election. The Chronicle welcomes opinion pieces on any topic from the community. We offer detailed reasons behind our Editorial Board endorsements in the general election in this annotated version; this version is for. Five seats on the Austin ISD school board are up for election. Can't keep up with happenings around town? Our progressive community has never really had this much power to lift the SBOE's heavily conservative (racist, homophobic) hand from the necks of Texas children, and we think the incumbent is best positioned to use it. Got something to say? We blew this call four years ago, thinking Ellis couldn't possibly go the distance against the seasoned Southwest activists in the race. TX-37: Lloyd Doggett, Governor: Beto ORourke In a Feb. 20 post on the Council message board, Watson wrote, "I . News Sports Hookem.com Austin360 Opinion Advertise Obituaries eNewspaper Legals Subscribe Current board president. Key Dates Oct. 5 Last day to register to vote Oct. 13 First day of early voting Oct. 23 Last day to apply for ballot by mail (received, not postmarked) Oct. 30 Last day of early voting Nov. 3. District 8: Paige Ellis An Old Austin survivor who's also lived in D9 her whole life, Guerrero has put in decades of volunteer service in leadership roles on city boards and commissions and with a broad array of community causes, and would walk into City Hall with all that knowledge and a powerful coalition already behind her. Someone Should Do Something. 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. 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. Follow her on Twitter @marisacharp. Court of Criminal Appeals, P5: No Endorsement The presiding election judge will decide if the priority is granted. We think Velsquez has more of the kind of experience that will serve a council member in good stead, and more credibility with the local powers on the ground in the heart of Tejano East Austin who have genuine power in a district where so many people dont vote unless theyre specifically asked to. We can help. Who Will Be the New Council Voice for District 9? Mayor: Celia Israel Alters made much of his detailed and prescriptive housing plan, which Bazan has subtly turned negative on him, positioning herself as a peer wholl lead through relationships rather than as an expert. A total of 5,009 people went to the polls Monday, a . Place 6: Tiffanie Harrison. Election day: Tuesday, December 13 Pflugerville ISD has eight props on the ballot. This is the court that Brandy Mueller is yielding after 12 years to run for the 403rd, but it will likely remain focused on youthful offenders (17- to 21-year-olds) of whom there are currently more than 1,000 in the Travis County system to help them avoid being damaged for life by a permanent record. This time, her opponents simply do not have the range to think about succeeding her. Californians are voting on seven. 2021 New Mexico. You can bring voting-day essentials like: Photo IDs Legal documents to use in absence of an ID Sample ballots Handwritten notes You can't have materials regarding a candidate or political party within 100 feet or inside a polling center, and you can't use these items within that perimeter: Cellphones Tablets Laptops Cameras It's currently held by Council Member Ann Kitchen. ), What the $350 million housing bond entails, Get caught up on the big issues facing Austin and its neighbors, Applications to be on the ballot are open, Updated: While feds investigate border initiative, he goes all in. Support the free press, so we can support Austin. 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. Polling is open until February 1st and can be done via their official website. The deadline to apply to vote by mail is Oct. 28. Wilco JP Pct. Election Day is Tuesday, March 1, and early voting for the primaries runs from Monday, Feb. 14, through Friday, Feb. 25. 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. While her opponent Clint Small, whose father and grandfather both served on the school board, demonstrates an obvious love for and deep understanding of the district, Chu's grasp of the multifaceted issues pushing teachers out of AISD the biggest problem the district faces is invaluable. Voters 70 or older can bring a photo ID that has been expired for any length of time. Five Highlights From the League of Women Voters Mayor Forum, Election Ticker: Money, Mayors, and Musgraves, All-Woman Western Swing Trio Tells Texas Republicans Its OK to Vote for Beto, Election Ticker: Tidbits From the Campaign Trail, Youth Keep Up With Kandidates Personally and Politically. Wilco JP Pct. SD14: Sarah Eckhardt Candidates addressed priority issues such as transportation, housing and policing during a forum hosted by KUT and the Austin Monitor. The League of Women Voters Austin Area is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, grassroots civic organization that encourages informed and active participation in government. Copyright 1981-2023 Austin Chronicle Corp. All rights reserved. State Constitutional Amendments Proposition 1: FOR Proposition 2: AGAINST We have often urged readers to vote against all constitutional. Council District 1: Natasha Harper-Madison. Voters can go to any polling place in the county. Current board vice president. A total of 5,009 people went to the polls Monday, a very solid turnout. 4: Stacy Hackenberg, Hays County Judge: Ruben Becerra Mayor: Celia Israel. The 2022 San Francisco District Attorney recall election was a successful special recall election to remove San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin from office. Sharon Navarro, a professor of political science at the University of Texas at San Antonio, said the messages Republicans are using to target Latino voters about immigration and the economy seem to be working. PublishedOctober 19, 2022 at 2:15 PM CDT, If you found this reporting valuable, pleaseconsider. Everybody wants the Latino vote in Texas. Here's what they're all about. We do wish our professional colleague, former KUT and Texas Standard reporter Joy Diaz, further success in her political career maybe at City Hall? Can't keep up with happenings around town? The Austin Chronicle only endorses in contested races. * Editors note, Friday, Oct. 28, 6:25pm: An updated list of recommended candidates to elect in Round Rock ISD has now been added. Branscum and Zapata have made the best impression on us as the Democratic choice for this likely doomed contest against incumbent Rep. Chip Roy, R-Dripping Springs, in November. Election Day guide to the key races that California and San Francisco Bay Area residents will vote on in the Nov. 8 midterm election. 2021 May Election Calendar / Calendario Electoral de Mayo 2021 countyclerk.traviscountytx.gov/departments/elections, hayscountytx.com/departments/elections/current-year-election, Voters Decide Final Three Austin City Council Members, Kirk Watson Pulled in Suburban Voters and Outraised Opponent Celia Israel, Kirk Watson Wins Austin's Mayoral Race By Fewer Than 900 Votes, Election Ticker: Of Recounts and Run-Offs, Mayor's Race, Districts 3, 5, and 9 All Headed to Run-Off, Community Organizing Defines Eastside Races, Strong Student Support Buoys Qadri in D9 Race, Local Candidates Find Victory in Statewide Races, Hays County Dems Romp as San Marcos Legalizes Weed, Former AISD Educators Sweep District Trustee Races, Round Rock Crushes Far-Right Candidates Running for School Board, City, AISD, ACC All Win Approval for Major Investments, Travis County Midterm Elections Live Blog, Round Rock (ISD) Just Don't Stop: The Affair of the Forged Letter, Low Turnout, the Fight for Voting Rights, and More Election News, Hays D.A. December 2022 City of Austin Runoff Election: Voter Resource In November, Austin voters turned out to cast ballots in the mayoral and City Council elections. 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. A $71 million bond could help with overcrowding. This guide details all propositions to provide general summaries for additional context as well as Chamber Board positions on the items. Land Commissioner: Jay Kleberg Combined with the 2,471 mail-in ballots received, that makes . The field is set in Austin's mayor's race and in five additional City Council races with seven candidates now officially competing to succeed Mayor Steve Adler. District 4: Kathryn Whitley Chu. HD46: Sheryl Cole Day one of early voting in Travis County was quite impressive. The ballot must be returned by the same representative before 7 p.m. on Election Day to be counted. Find more November 2022 General Election coverage and voting information at our Elections hub. Velsquez will bring to the dais a robust vision for increasing housing supply in a rapidly growing part of the city, while working to protect his lifelong neighbors from displacement. January 2022 Election Calendar / Enero 2022 Calendario Electoral Early voting begins Oct. 24 and. Support the Chronicle. See the complete list of winners in the Austin Music Awards. 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. 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. Contact Us Email: lwvaustin@lwvaustin.org Phone 512-451-6710 LWV Austin Area 3908 Avenue B, Austin, TX 78751 A ballot measure passed in May 2021 moved Austin's mayoral race to align with presidential elections in an effort to increase voter turnout. We can help. It does matter that a queer Gen X Latina who also holds elected office is a tougher opponent than Kirk Watson has really faced before, and can ask questions he doesn't know how to answer. The Austin Chronicle: Chronicle Endorsements for the May 7 State and Local Election; The Austin-American Statesman: Austin voters should relax pot laws, outlaw no-knock raids; Guides (as they become available) League of Women Voters Austin Area Voters Guide; Why should I vote? The debate from the Rio Grande Valley took place as ORourke continues to trail in the polls. The Chronicle welcomes opinion pieces on any topic from the community. Daily News. The team also jettisoned the genre categories (except for best Hip Hop) in favor of 2020-centric awards like Best Livestreaming Artist and Best 2020-Themed Song. This year, Texans will be casting their votes to choose candidates for some major positions, including the governor, lieutenant . It was held on June 7, 2022, concurrent with the 2022 statewide primary elections. We wish we were exaggerating. 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. Austin American-Statesman is the number one source for Austin and Texas breaking news, politics and business. We get it, justice reform means decarceration and restorative justice for everybody. The Houston Chronicle politics team's interactive guide to the candidates and key state and local races that Texas voters will decide in the March 1 primary election. Copyright 1981-2023 Austin Chronicle Corp. All rights reserved. Eric Goodman's Austin FC column, other soccer news, All questions answered (satisfaction not guaranteed). Copyright 1981-2023 Austin Chronicle Corp. All rights reserved. Grumet:Grumet: Here's what Austin got from the 2018 affordable housing bond. Her opponent Tanisa Jeffers is also right that we could restore CCL5 to its former status as a mental-health-focused court (which doesn't exclude DWIs for those with substance use disorders), but we think Espiritu is better prepared to do that than Jeffers is to reform DWI adjudication. Early voting begins Oct. 24 and runs until Nov. 4. He wants to move urgently to enact land use reforms to increase Austin's housing supply, but commits to seeking input from renters and homeowners in houses, four-plexes, dorms, and skyscrapers and takes a pragmatic stakeholder-centered approach. The most important reason to vote, however, is the protection of the Constitution of the United States. 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. Daily News - The Austin Chronicle. Council District 3: Jos Velsquez 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. If youre in line by 7 p.m. on Election Day, you cannot be denied a ballot. Working all day? Your Complete Guide for Voting in the Primaries- Reform Austin Elections Your Complete Guide for Voting in the Primaries By Staff - February 17, 2022 Early voting started on Feb. 14 and will continue until Friday, Feb. 25 for the March primaries in Texas. 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. The eight propositions (A-H) will be voted on by the residents of Austin during the May 1st 2021 special election that the Austin city council approved during the Feb. 9th council meeting. Answers to Your Questions About Voting by Mail in Travis County, Your Local Lawmakers Enter the 88th Lege Arena. That will put her in the best place to find solutions to Austin's decadelong housing crisis. HD136: John Bucy, 455th District Judge: Laurie Eiserloh Make sure your county's elections office receives your ballot on or before Election Day. The bond would also help the college expand training capacity for jobs in health care and advanced manufacturing and would fund new sites in southeastern and southwestern Travis County. If you need help casting your ballot you are permitted to bring someone with you, including a translator. Here's what's in it. Email her at mcharpentier@kut.org. Lockhart ISD schools are bursting at the seams. District 3: Jos Velsquez. The two most challenging races for us to deliberate this cycle were probably the two commissioner contests. The Austin Chronicle's Austin Music Awards honor the local music community by recognizing Austin artists and industry leaders. By. Video! It's Election Day. 4: Jose Orta LOVE, POVERTY, WAR AND Also by Christopher Hitchens BLOOD, CLASS AND EMPIRE: The Enduring Anglo-American Relationship A LONG SHORT WAR: The Postponed Liberation of Iraq WHY ORWELL MATTERS LEFT HOOKS, RIGHT CROSSES: A Decade of Political Writing (edited with Christopher Caldwell) LETTERS TO A YOUNG CONTRARIAN THE TRIAL OF HENRY KISSINGER BLAMING THE VICTIMS: Spurious Scholarship and the . We'd love to hear from you too! 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. ACC Prop A: FOR. Yet she offered nuanced and pragmatic approaches to the problems the district faces now without wavering on her values: "I'm not big on compromise for this one reason: That's how we got here, [and] we haven't even moved the needle for these children.". 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. The city also held a special general election for the District 4 seat on the city council on January 25, 2022. 2023 Legislative Session. Ag Commissioner: Susan Hays District 6: Andrew Gonzales. Confronting a long list of races at the polls can be daunting. In a perfect world they'd also share space on the dais, but we must choose. Comptroller: Janet Dudding Copyright 1981-2023 Austin Chronicle Corp. All rights reserved. The $350 million bond would go to acquiring land and building new homes, as well as repairing existing homes that would likely be demolished but for the bond's assistance. Embattled Texas AG Paxton's fundraising was drying up. HD47: Vikki Goodwin 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. Not all of the bills are bad! But it's time for a change out here, and Del Valle ISD Trustee Ledesma-Woody is the most credible advocate for the people and places in outer Southeast Travis County now ground zero for the next decade's chapter of Austin's endless boom that's run for this seat in a while. Friday, Feb. 18 will be the last day to apply for mail-in ballots. Travis County: countyclerk.traviscountytx.gov/departments/elections or 512/238-VOTE (8683), Williamson County: wilco.org/departments/election or 512/943-1630, Hays County: hayscountytx.com/departments/elections/current-year-election or 512/393-7779. Representation matters but so does showing up. 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. Visit austinchronicle.com/austin-music-awards to see winners. Eight candidates vie for Austin's most powerful YIMBYs and NIMBYs, Get your vote on in this week's "Election Ticker", Candidates talk climate, cops, and city employees, All our endorsements collected on one easy-to-print page, Austin FC advances in the MLS Cup Playoffs, and our endorsements signal the approach of the midterms, Cash, beer, and Beto rule everything around us, District 3 candidate forum keeps it quick and Celia gets a PAC, Climate change forum focuses on young voters, ACC shows what it can do with less than $50 million, Look at the first ad of the mayoral campaign and more, Leaving the state for an abortion is on the line, Things get partisan in this week's election news, Celia Israel and Kirk Watson answer urbanists, Israel lays out repro rights plan, and more, Endorsements flow in, though his proposals may leave some Austinites wanting more, The biggest news in local races this week, State Rep. Celia Israel on being herself on the mayoral trail, Duo leads in funds, reputations, and housing plans, Filling Kathie Tovo's shoes (with houses? Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth announces B.C.'s $150-million investment to fund upgrades to province's 911 emergency communication system during a press conference at a fire hall in the Vancouver Island community of Saanich. But you can find out what exactly will be on your ballot and decide who or what youre voting for ahead of time. To see wait times at these locations, go here. Find that here. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. TX-17: Mary Jo Woods Do you know who your Austin City Council member is? Estimates to run such . Got something to say? Attorney General: Rochelle Garza Voters will chart the future of their local community, and of Texas as a whole, on a ballot packed with important races and big-ticket propositions. Locally, Austin voters will chose a new mayor and select candidates for five additional City Council seats. Do we really understand why anyone is running against Lloyd in this late-career race to finally represent his lifelong neighbors in Austin? 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. Click here. Hays Commissioner Pct. What you can and cant bring to the polls. 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. CCA, P6: Robert Johnson, State Board of Education, District 5: Rebecca Bell Metereau We feel Hernandez is the best prepared to take on that role and even expand it beyond Mueller's already admirable achievements.