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By Valeria Olivares, The Texas Tribune
On July 14, Texas will hold its 2020 runoff elections to decide the final spots for Democrats and Republicans on the November general election ballot. There are 35 congressional, legislative and state board nominations up for grabs. You can view the full ballot here and find polling locations here.
With early voting starting Monday, this is what you need to know.
Texas has open primaries, meaning you don't have to be a registered member of either party to cast a ballot in a primary runoff. You can check your voter registration status here. But you can only vote in one party's primary, and which one might depend on how you voted in the first round of the primaries in March. People who voted in the March 3 primary are only able to vote in that same party's runoff election, as they have affiliated themselves with that given party for that calendar year. Those who did not participate in the March primary are able to vote in either primary runoff election.
The primaries were originally scheduled for May, but Abbott delayed them until July because of the coronavirus. Abbott also doubled the length of the early voting period for the July primary runoff elections in a move to aimed at easing crowds at the polls during the pandemic. Early voting runs from Monday through July 10.
"It is necessary to increase the number of days in which polling locations will be open during the early voting period, such that election officials can implement appropriate social distancing and safe hygiene practices," Abbott wrote in a May proclamation.
The pandemic has stirred a legal fight over mail-in voting in Texas. Democrats sued the state hoping to expand voting by mail as a safer alternative to in-person voting during the pandemic, but the Texas Supreme Court ruled in late May that a lack of immunity to the coronavirus alone does not qualify a voter to apply for a mail-in ballot.
“We agree with the State that a voter’s lack of immunity to COVID-19, without more, is not a ‘disability’ as defined by the Election Code,” the court wrote in May.
Texas voters can qualify for mail-in ballots if they are 65 years or older, have a disability or an illness, are confined in jail, according to the Texas secretary of state's office. Those who will not be in the county where they registered on election day and throughout the early voting period also have the option to request a ballot by mail.
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State leaders have largely left it up to local officials to set up safety precautions, but the Texas secretary of state's office has some recommended guidelines for voters and county governments. The eight-page document suggests that voters bring their own hand sanitizer and wear face masks, bring their own marking devices — like pencils with erasers — and consider voting curbside if they have symptoms of COVID-19. (Voters unable to enter polling places are allowed to ask a poll worker to bring a ballot to their cars parked curbside. The state recommends that voters call ahead before requesting this option.)
Local voting officials have stocked up on sanitizer and protective gear while also considering plastic shields for check-in stations at polling places. The state has also recommended that they place markings on the floor to help people maintain social distancing in lines and place voting booths at least 6 feet apart.
The stakes in the runoff races vary widely, from contests where the winner is likely destined to lose in November to races in which a victory in July will almost certainly mean a congressional seat in November. Here are some of highlights of statewide interest:
"Early voting starts Monday for the primary runoff in Texas. Here’s what you need to know." was first published by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.
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Today is the last day to vote for San Antonio’s mayor and all 10 City Council seats. Places on various school boards are also up for grabs.
The polls close at 7 p.m.
If you haven’t voted, and think you might want to, but needed something like this article to nudge you to your polling site, here are some resources to help you do that:
Visit the county website for more info on where to vote.
Here are some questionnaires we sent to candidates for mayor and for the districts we cover to help you catch up on the issues:
Mayor | District 1 | District 2 | District 5
Search campaign finance reports
View election results after 7 p.m.
Visit the city’s election page for more info.
Contact Ben Olivo: 210-421-3932 | ben@saheron.com | @rbolivo on Twitter
Several hundred people gathered Wednesday evening at Hemisfair in response to President Donald Trump's fundraising visit to San Antonio earlier in the day.
Leading the counter protest and rally was Democratic presidential hopeful and former San Antonio mayor Julián Castro.
Despite being one of the hottest days in months, the crowd packed in under the baking sun excited to hear from the San Antonio native.
"Our kids deserve so much better," Castro supporter Linda Alaniz, 69, said. "We need a change in leadership so we can get our opportunities back for our children and grandchildren."
Castro supporters, and Castro himself, addressed with fury and frustration the Trump administration's immigration policies, which Trump opined on during the event at The Argyle Club in Alamo Heights.
"We're going to choose compassion, not cruelty," Castro told the crowd when speaking on immigration.
Castro also reflected on his grandmother’s story of coming to the U.S., and inserted some anecdotes about his upbringing on San Antonio’s West Side, which gained an ovation from the crowd each time.
Attendees held up loteria cards with Castro's image, and other posters.
In the last couple minutes of his speech, Castro faced the elephant in the room—or, on the plaza, if you will—concerning his campaign.
"Some people have said, 'Well, you know you're not a frontrunner,' and I tell them, I wasn’t born a front runner," he said, a talking point he's used repeatedly.
After the rally, they stuck around to greet Castro, and they asked him to sign posters, take selfies, pray, or shake hands with them for a few minutes.
