TEXAS, USA — It's almost time for Texans to cast their ballots in the 2024 primary election, choosing candidates for president, U.S. Senate, the Texas Legislature and more. Early voting began Tuesday, Feb. 20 and ends Friday, March 1.
This year's primary election will be held Tuesday, March 5.
The last day to register to vote in the primary election was Feb. 5. You can check online to see if you are currently registered.
Here's everything you need to know about voting in the primary, from polling locations to what you may see on your ballot.
Texas is an open primary state. That means voters don't register as members of a particular political party. Instead, eligible Texas voters can cast a ballot in either party's primary election, but not both. The same goes for a runoff election from a primary election.
At the polls, you'll have to choose whether you want to vote in the Democratic or Republican primary. Then you'll be selecting among members of your chosen primary when you cast your vote.
For example: If you choose to vote in the Republican primary election March 5, you'll be able to choose which Republican candidate for president should be on the ballot in November, but you will not be able to choose which Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate should be in the running.
Registered and eligible Texas voters may vote at any early voting location located in the county in which they live.
Early voting locations are populated through the Vote Texas website two days before the first day of early voting. All voters have to do is enter their information to find polling locations. During early voting, polling place hours vary at each location.
On Election Day, March 5, things work a little differently.
You can check to see if the county you live in participates in the Countywide Polling Place Program (CWPP). If your county does participate in CWPP, you can vote at any polling place in the county. If your county doesn't participate in CWPP, you can only vote at the polling place assigned to you on Election Day.
On March 5, all polling places across the state are open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. As long as you are in line before 7 p.m., you can vote.
To vote in Texas, you need to have a form of identification when you go to cast your ballot at a polling location.
Here's a list of acceptable forms of photo identification:
- Texas driver license issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)
- Texas election identification certificate issued by DPS
- Texas personal identification card issued by DPS
- Texas handgun license issued by DPS
- U.S. military identification card containing the person’s photograph
- U.S. citizenship certificate containing the person’s photograph
- U.S. passport (book or card)
If you don't have one of the forms of ID listed above and can't reasonably get one, you can bring one of the following in order to execute a "reasonable impediment declaration":
- Copy or original of a government document that shows the voter’s name and an address, including the voter’s voter registration certificate
- Copy of or original current utility bill
- Copy of or original bank statement
- Copy of or original government check
- Copy of or original paycheck
- Copy of or original of (a) a certified domestic (from a U.S. state or territory) birth certificate or (b) a document confirming birth admissible in a court of law which establishes the voter’s identity (which may include a foreign birth document)
Here are some of the key races you may see on your ballot, depending on where you live and which primary you choose to vote in.
Federal races
President
President Joe Biden, a Democrat, is seeking a second term. Seven other Democrats are challenging the president in hopes of becoming this year's nominee.
Meanwhile, on the Republican ticket, former president Donald Trump is also hoping for a second term. Three other Republicans remain in the race, hoping to be chosen as the nominee instead.
Democratic candidates:
- Joe Biden (incumbent)
- Armando "Mando" Perez-Serrato
- Gabriel A. Cornejo
- Star Locke
- Cenk Uygur
- Frankie Lozda
- Marianne Williamson
- Dean Phillips
Republican candidates:
- Donald Trump
- Nikki Haley
- David Stuckenberg
- Ryan Binkley
U.S. Senate
Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz is seeking a third term. Two other Republicans are challenging him. Meanwhile, nine candidates are running for the Democratic ticket.
Republican candidates:
- Ted Cruz (incumbent)
- Rufus Lopez
- Holland "Redd" Gibson
Democratic candidates:
U.S. House of Representatives
Dist. 11
- August Pfluger (R - incumbent)
Statewide races
Railroad Commissioner
- Christi Craddick (R - incumbent)
- Corey Howell (R)
- Christie Clark (R)
- Petra Reyes (R)
- James "Jim" Matlock (R)
- Bill Burch (D)
- Katherine Culbert (D)
Texas Supreme Court - Place 2
- Jimmy Blacklock (R - incumbent)
- Dasean Jones (D)
- Randy Sarosdy (D)
Texas Supreme Court - Place 4
- John Devine (R - incumbent)
- Brian Walker (R)
- Christine Vinh Weems (D)
Texas Supreme Court - Place 6
- Jane Bland (R - incumbent)
- Bonnie Lee Goldstein (D)
- Joe Pool (D)
State Board of Education - District 1
(Mason County)
- Gustavo Revles (D)
- Michael Stevens (R)
State Board of Education - Dist. 15
- Aaron Kinsey
State Representative, Dist. 71
- Liz Case
- Stan Lambert
State Representative, Dist. 72
- Stormy Bradley
- Drew Darby
Texas Legislature
Texas Senate
Texas House of Representatives – District 53
- Hatch Smith (R)
- Westley Virdell (R)
- Joe Herrera (D)
Local races
TAYLOR COUNTY
Taylor County Sheriff
- Ricky Bishop (incumbent)
- Elias Carrasquillo
- Shay Bailey
Taylor County Tax Assessor
- Kay Middleton
County Commissioner, Pct. 1
- Randy Williams
- Javier Villarreal
More Taylor County races here.
TOM GREEN COUNTY
Tom Green County Tax Assessor/Collector
- Juan Acevedo
- Becky Robles
County Commissioner, Pct. 1
- Michelle Schniers Derusso
- Ralph Hoelscher (incumbent)
- Daniel "Danny" Cardenas
Republican Party Chair
- Ruth Staton
- Bruce Burkett
For more races, click here.
Propositions
- Proposition 1 - Texas should eliminate all property taxes without increasing Texans’ overall tax burden.
- Proposition 2 - Texas should create a Border Protection Unit, and deploy additional state law enforcement and military forces, to seal the border, to use physical force to prevent illegal entry and trafficking, and to deport illegal aliens to Mexico or to their nations of origin.
- Proposition 3 - The Texas Legislature should require the use of E-Verify by all employers in Texas to protect jobs for legal workers by preventing the hiring of illegal aliens.
- Proposition 4 - The Texas Legislature should end all subsidies and public services, including in-state college tuition and enrollment in public schools, for illegal aliens.
- Proposition 5 - Texas urges the United States Congress not to grant any form of amnesty or a pathway to legalization of illegal aliens.
- Proposition 6 - The Texas Legislature should prohibit the deployment of the Texas National Guard to a foreign conflict unless Congress first formally declares war.
- Proposition 7 - The Texas Legislature should establish authority within the Texas State Comptroller’s office to administer access to gold and silver through the Texas Bullion Depository for use as legal tender.
- Proposition 8 - The State of Texas should ensure that Texans are free to give or to withhold consent for any vaccine without coercion.
- Proposition 9 - The Republican Party of Texas should restrict voting in the Republican primary to only registered Republicans.
- Proposition 10 - The Texas Constitution should be amended to restore authority to the Texas Attorney General to prosecute election crimes.
- Proposition 11 - Texas parents and guardians should have the right to select schools, whether public or private, for their children, and the funding should follow the student.
- Proposition 12 - The Texas Constitution should be amended to require proof of citizenship before any individual can be registered to vote.
- Proposition 13 - Texas should ban the sale of Texas land to citizens, governments, and entities from China, Iran, North Korea and Russia.
Be sure to bookmark foxwtx/elections to get live results once the polling sites around West Texas close Election Day. Follow along with the latest election stories at foxwtx.com.
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