Need to vote in the Texas primary runoff election? Here's everything you need to know
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Texas voters will head to the polls Tuesday to cast their ballots in the runoff elections for this year's Democratic and Republican primaries.
Voters will decide between candidates in several key statewide races, from attorney general to land commissioner, as well as in federal races for congressional representatives and local races for the statehouse and county offices.
Here's a look at everything voters in Central Texas need to know before casting their ballots Tuesday:
Who can vote in a runoff? Explaining the Texas runoff elections.
What is a runoff election?
On March 1, Texans voted in either the Republican or Democratic primary to decide which candidates from each party would appear on the general election ballot in November.
Some races had clear winners. For instance, incumbent Gov. Greg Abbott won the Republican primary against seven challengers with roughly 66% of the vote. In the Democratic primary, Beto O'Rourke won with about 90% of the vote against four other gubernatorial candidates. Abbott and O'Rourke will compete in the November election.
But in some primary races, none of the candidates secured more than half of the vote to win outright, thus requiring the two candidates who received the largest share of the vote to compete in a runoff election to determine the winner.
The runoff is the final step in the process to determine which major-party candidates will appear on the ballot in November.
Who is eligible to vote?
Any person in Texas who was registered to vote by April 25 may cast a ballot Tuesday. Check your voter registration status online, using the Texas secretary of state's website.
Under Texas law, voters who cast a ballot in either party's primary must vote in the same party's runoff.
Don't forget: Voters who did not vote in either primary March 1 are still eligible to vote Tuesday and may cast a ballot in either party's runoff.
Did you vote by mail in the runoff contest or vote early between May 16 and Friday? Read no farther; your ballot has already been cast in this election.
More: Trump highlights Gov. Greg Abbott, Ken Paxton policies ahead of Texas runoff election
Where can I vote in Texas' runoff election?
Polling locations are listed online at your county website. You can also find polling locations (and check your voter registration status) using the secretary of state's voter portal online. You'll need to provide your first and last name, birthday and what county you live in; your Texas driver's license number and birthday; or your voter unique identifier and birthday.
Polling locations across Texas will be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Tuesday. Any voter standing in line to cast a ballot when the polls close must be permitted to vote, so if you're in line to vote at 7 p.m., stay there.
Here's a look at voting locations in Travis County on Election Day.
What do I need to bring to the polls?
Voters must be prepared to present a form of photo identification when they arrive at a polling location. Acceptable forms of ID are:
A Texas election identification certificate issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety.
A Texas personal identification card issued by DPS.
A Texas handgun license issued by DPS.
A U.S. citizenship certificate containing a photograph.
A U.S. passport (book or card).
For voters ages 18 to 69, your photo ID can be expired up to four years and still be acceptable. For voters 70 or older, any form of photo ID can be expired for any length of time and still be acceptable.
What races are on the ballot in Texas?
Your full sample ballot will be available on your county website. Here's a look at key races to watch on Tuesday in Central Texas.
Texas Attorney General
Texas Attorney General: The Republican runoff has been relentless nasty, with incumbent Ken Paxton portraying his opponent as an insufficiently conservative and overly privileged member of a family political dynasty, and Land Commissioner George P. Bush painting Paxton as an unethical "swamp creature" beset by legal problems, including an FBI investigation into allegations of misusing his office.
The Democratic runoff is a far more civil contest between Brownsville lawyer Rochelle Garza, formerly with the ACLU of Texas, and Joe Jaworski, former Galveston mayor and grandson of Watergate special prosecutor Leon Jaworski.
Texas Railroad Commissioner
Texas Railroad Commissioner: The GOP runoff for Texas Railroad Commission pits incumbent Wayne Christian, a self-described "pro-oil-and-gas conservative," against Sarah Stogner, an oil and gas lawyer who stretched her campaign's limited dollars by focusing on social media, including an attention-grabbing video riding a pumpjack wearing little in the way of clothing.
Statehouse races in Central Texas
Statehouse races in Central Texas: Republican voters will choose nominees for three area Texas House districts that were redrawn last year to favor the GOP. U.S. Sen Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Gov. Greg Abbott have split endorsements in the races:
Austin police officer Justin Berry (Abbott) faces former Austin City Council Member Ellen Troxclair (Cruz) in a district stretching from western Travis County to Burnet, Blanco, Kendall and Gillespie counties.
Barron Casteel (Abbott), former mayor of New Braunfels, faces nonprofit executive Carrie Isaac (Cruz) in a district that includes Comal County and eastern Hays County.
Caroline Harris (Abbott), a policy adviser at the Legislature, faces software engineer Patrick McGuinness (Cruz) in a Williamson County district.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas runoff election: Where to vote, candidates are on the ballot
