Thursday is the deadline to register to vote in Texas for the May 2 local city and school elections. Early voting begins April 20.
Here's some of the races on the ballot.
Where you live will determine what school district and city elections are on your ballot. You can find sample ballots here.
Three Waco City Council seats are on the ballot this year:
- Waco Mayor Jim Holmes is seeking his second term as Mayor. The investment banker has served on City Council since 2016. He faces two challengers: Aiden Morgan, a healthcare worker, and David Howard Ponder, a former public school teacher.
- Waco District 1 Councilmember Andrea Barefield, a government consultant, has served the East Waco district since 2018. She faces a challenge from Rachel E. Pate, vice president of the Cen-Tex African American Chamber of Commerce.
- Waco District 3 Councilmember Josh Borderud decided not to run for reelection. The District 3 seat will be filled by Jed Cole, a Waco real estate developer, who is running unopposed.
Lacy Lakeview's City Council has three at-large seats up for election. All three incumbent council members are running, plus newcomer and data center opponent Amy Gage.
China Spring ISD is the only McLennan County district with a contested race. Three school board seats are up for election with a total of ten candidates (and only one incumbent). They appear below:
- Place 1: Brad Minnix, Julie Daniel and Holly Dunham (incumbent)
- Place 2: Ashlee Peacock, Frank McClellan and Connor Elliott
- Place 3: Noey Meza, Anthony Collier, Joseph Hopkins, Jesse Gaston
Hewitt, McGregor and Woodway canceled their elections due to uncontested races, as did Waco ISD, La Vega ISD, Connally ISD and Midway ISD.
In Woodway, Place 1 will be filled by Meg Wallace, founder of Mobilize Waco, and an at-large council seat will be filled by Kyle Kriegel.
What do I need to do to vote?
You must be registered by Thursday, April 2 in the county you live in to vote in the May 2 election. You can check to see if you're registered to vote here.
To be eligible to register, you must:
- be a U.S. citizen
- be a resident of the county you are applying to vote in
- be at least 18 years old by Election Day
- not have been declared mentally incapacitated by a court
- not be a convicted felon (though you may be eligible if you were pardoned or completed your sentence, probation and parole)
In Texas, you cannot register to vote online — unless you are renewing, replacing or updating your Texas driver's license or ID on the Department of Public Safety website.
You can submit a voter registration application by mail. Just fill out this form, print, sign and mail it to the McLennan County Elections office. Your application must be postmarked by Thursday, April 2 for the May elections.
To make sure you are registered before the deadline, McLennan County Elections Administrator Jared Goldsmith recommends visiting the office in person to submit your application. The McLennan County Elections Administration Office is located at 214 N. 4th Street, Suite 300.
You can find their mailing address and a printable voter registration application here.
Important dates
- Thursday, April 2 — Deadline to register to vote or update your address
- Monday, April 20 — In-person early voting begins
- Monday, April 20 — Deadline to apply for a ballot by mail
- Tuesday, April 28 — In-Person early voting ends
- Saturday, May 2 — Election Day
Do I need to renew my voter registration?
If you've changed your name or moved within Texas — especially if you've moved to a different county — you can update your voter registration information online. You can also submit an updated physical application before the deadline.
What kind of ID will I need to register or vote?
To register to vote, you can use your Texas driver's license or Texas personal ID number issued by DPS. If you don’t have either of those, you can use the last four digits of your Social Security number.
When you head to the polls, you will need to present one of these valid forms of photo ID:
- Texas driver's license (DPS issued)
- Texas election identification certificate (DPS issued)
- Texas personal ID card (DPS issued)
- Texas handgun license (DPS issued)
- U.S. military photo ID
- U.S. citizenship certificate with photo
- U.S. passport (book or card)
You can still use your ID to vote if it expired within the last four years. If you are 70 or older, you can use it regardless of when it expired.
If you couldn’t get one of the above forms of ID, you can use a supporting form of identification like a bank statement or utility bill. But you must sign a document saying you had a reasonable impediment to getting a valid photo ID — like lack of transportation, work schedule, illness or family responsibilities.
Can I vote by mail?
Texas only allows mail-in voting for specific groups, including people 65 and older and those who are sick or disabled. The state has also implemented stricter ID requirements, and thousands of Texans who voted in 2022's March primaries saw their mail-in ballots rejected under the new rules. You can check to see if you’re eligible, and apply for a mail-in ballot, on the Texas Secretary of State’s website. You can also track the status of your mail-in ballot online.
Got a tip? Email Molly-Jo Tilton at Molly-jo_tilton@baylor.edu.
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