Curbed Austin - Austin 2018 electionsLove where you live2018-12-12T09:42:36-06:00http://austin.curbed.com/rss/stream/177894872018-12-12T09:42:36-06:002018-12-12T09:42:36-06:00Austin midterm election runoff results
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<p>Three council races, AISD and ACC places decided</p> <p id="2L1Jjl">With a resounding lack of fanfare but decisive and dutiful casting of ballots, Austin-area voters—the ones who voted, that is—made their choices in runoff elections on Tuesday,</p>
<p id="01dttA">On the ballot were Austin City Council seats for Districts 1, 3, and 8; a pick for AISD’s at-large Place 9 trustee position; and a choice for ACC District 8 trustee vote. The community college district seat drew voters from a district that covers the city of Austin as well as Leander, Manor, Del Valle, Round Rock, Elgin, and Hays County.</p>
<p id="fJWksL">Below are the <a href="http://www.kut.org/post/austin-city-council-runoffs-harper-madison-wins-d1-renteria-maintains-d3-seat-ellis-takes-d8">runoff results</a> (in italics) as reported by KUT Tuesday, along with some <a href="https://chorus.voxmedia.com/compose/274bbc11-07f3-4df0-962e-6850b7c77481">background</a> Curbed Austin reported during the race.</p>
<p id="CngzUn"><em>This article was originally published in November 2018 and has been updated.</em></p>
<p id="yjYuQT">While the excitement and frenzy of the country’s <a href="https://austin.curbed.com/2018/10/25/18025446/austin-2018-elections-midterm">midterm elections</a> has let up, if only slightly (perhaps not at all in the case of Beto fever), there are three Austin City Council races, one ACC trustee contest, and an at-large AISD trustee battle in which the dust hasn’t settled.</p>
<p id="0KHb0v">Election Day for the races is Tuesday, Dec. 11—that’s your last chance to vote in these races.</p>
<p id="pQWGhz">Austin City Council seats for Districts 1, 3, and 8 are up for a runoff vote, and only voters registered in those districts may vote for their preferred candidate. The AISD runoff is for the at-large Place 9 trustee position, and the ACC District trustee vote will cover District 8, which covers the city of Austin as well as Leander, Manor, Del Valle, Round Rock, Elgin, and Hays County. </p>
<p id="nDQaiS">While the local items on Austin’s midterm ballots were hardly the nail-biters that many state and national races became, the results sent some clear messages about local leadership, growth, and change. The outcome of the three remaining races will be critical in clarifying which directions Austin wants to move in as it continues to grow.</p>
<p id="v4lTq6">Below is information on the candidates in the three races; you can find information on polling locations and hours on the <a href="http://traviscountyclerk.org/eclerk/Content.do?code=E.2018.11.12">Travis County</a> and <a href="http://www.co.hays.tx.us/december-11-2018-run-off">Hays County</a> election websites.</p>
<h2 id="uhxRFH">Austin City Council</h2>
<h3 id="MtINxS">District 1</h3>
<p id="SlMvg4"><strong>Runoff result:</strong> <em>Natasha Harper-Madison is the winner, with 71 percent of the vote; opponent Mariana Salazar got 28 percent.</em></p>
<p id="tPGzUC">Community organizer Mariana Salazar eked out a small victory in the midterms, with 26 percent of the vote, and East Austin entrepreneur Natasha Harper-Madison garnered 25 percent—quite different numbers, obviously, than those from the runoff.</p>
<p id="PyKtdd">The candidates ran for the seat being vacated by Ora Houston, the longtime East Austin advocate and first District 1 representative to serve when the council moved to a single-member-district model. District 1 is historically a black neighborhood and has faced issues of displacement and unaffordability for years. Both candidates addressed affordability seriously but from different points of view. Harper-Madison, an East Austin native and president of the East 12th Street Merchants Association, campaigned on mending some of the ways the area and its population have been left out of the city’s process and prosperity. Salazar, who moved to Austin from Venezuela as a teenager, emphasized the importance of immigration issues in the conversation about affordability and access to housing and services.</p>
<h3 id="J5HHmu">District 3</h3>
<p id="Gep2Ay"><strong>Runoff result:</strong> <em>Sabino “Pio” Renteria received 64 percent of the vote, while Susana Almanza won 36 percent.</em></p>
<p id="4FFCv4">Incumbent Renteria and Almanza are no strangers to competition with each other; Longtime activist and <a href="http://www.poder-texas.org/">PODER</a> director Almanza ran against Renteria for the seat in 2014, the first local election after Austin adopted a single-member districts.</p>
<p id="u3nddw">In the 2018 midterm general election, Renteria got 47 percent of the vote—less than the 50 percent required to avoid a runoff—while Almanza received 21 percent.</p>
<p id="rFVrGQ">Renteria has been active in addressing affordable housing and development issues in his district and has worked to get several projects off the ground without exactly being a bulwark against displacement—part of what made him the urbanists’s candidate of choice. Almanza, has for decades been rigorous and consistent in her focus on neighborhood and district advocacy, with an emphasis on environmental activism and addressing gentrification from a preservation angle.</p>
<h3 id="iqtIQr">District 8</h3>
<p id="p4hJ6j"><strong>Result: </strong><em>Paige Ellis garnered 56 percent of the vote, while Frank Ward came in with 44 percent.</em></p>
<p id="7Y72lp">The outcome of the District 8 vote was relatively close, at least compared to that of the other two council runoffs. In the general midterms, Ellis received 30 percent of the votes in her bid to replace current council member Ellen Troxclair, who chose not to run again. Candidate Frank Ward got close to 25 percent of the votes in that round.</p>
<p id="CYdOn2">Environmental marketing expert Ellis has previously volunteered for the Texas Book Festival and Keep Austin Beautiful as well as serving as a state convention delegate for the Texas Democratic Party. Ward, who is on the city’s <a href="https://austintexas.granicus.com/boards/w/48785004fecbf11d">Parks and Recreation Board</a>, would likely have taken Libertarian-leaning positions (meaning anti-tax and anti-regulation) on most issues, as did Troxclair, who endorsed him. </p>
<p id="WUYHlW">Considering that District 8 encompasses parts of Circle C, Oak Hill, and almost all of the Barton Springs zone that contributes to the Edwards Aquifer, the district’s choice of candidate can be viewed as an interesting mini-referendum on environmental and the impact of development.</p>
<h3 id="V4IzW5">AISD at-large position, Place 9</h3>
<p id="o9N3U9"><strong>Result:</strong> <em>Arati Singh won 60 percent of the vote, defeating Carmen Tilton, who received 40 percent</em></p>
<p id="w2UtG7">In the general midterms, Tilton, a senior executive policy adviser for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission with several years’s experience as a legislative policy analyst, received 40 percent of the vote. Runoff opponent Arati Singh received 36 percent and is an educational program designer and evaluator with experience as a bilingual school teacher in the Rio Grande Valley.</p>
<p id="C7EALU">• <a href="http://www.kut.org/post/austin-city-council-runoffs-harper-madison-wins-d1-renteria-maintains-d3-seat-ellis-takes-d8">Austin City Council Runoffs: Harper-Madison Wins D1, Renteria Maintains D3 Seat, Ellis Takes D8</a> [KUT]</p>
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https://austin.curbed.com/2018/12/12/18137560/austin-runoff-results-midterm-electionsCindy Widner2018-12-10T13:19:00-06:002018-12-10T13:19:00-06:00Vote in Austin runoffs: Tuesday is Election Day
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<figcaption>Austin City Hall | AFP/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Three council seats and more up for grabs</p> <p id="CngzUn"><em>This article was originally published in November 2018 and has been updated.</em></p>
<p id="yjYuQT">While the excitement and frenzy of the country’s <a href="https://austin.curbed.com/2018/10/25/18025446/austin-2018-elections-midterm">midterm elections</a> has let up, if only slightly (perhaps not at all in the case of Beto fever), there are three Austin City Council races, one ACC trustee contest, and an at-large AISD trustee battle in which the dust hasn’t settled.</p>
<p id="0KHb0v">Election Day for the races is Tuesday, Dec. 11—that’s your last chance to vote in these races.</p>
<p id="01dttA">Austin City Council seats for Districts 1, 3, and 8 are up for a runoff vote, and only voters registered in those districts may vote for their preferred candidate. The AISD runoff is for the at-large Place 9 trustee position, and the ACC District trustee vote will cover District 8, which covers the city of Austin as well as Leander, Manor, Del Valle, Round Rock, Elgin, and Hays County. </p>
<p id="nDQaiS">While the local items on Austin’s midterm ballots were hardly the nail-biters that many state and national races became, the results sent some clear messages about local leadership, growth, and change. The outcome of the three remaining races will be critical in clarifying which directions Austin wants to move in as it continues to grow.</p>
<p id="v4lTq6">Below is information on the candidates in the three races; you can find information on polling locations and hours on the <a href="http://traviscountyclerk.org/eclerk/Content.do?code=E.2018.11.12">Travis County</a> and <a href="http://www.co.hays.tx.us/december-11-2018-run-off">Hays County</a> election websites.</p>
<h2 id="uhxRFH">Austin City Council</h2>
<h3 id="MtINxS">District 1</h3>
<p id="tPGzUC">Community organizer Mariana Salazar eked out a small victory in the midterms, with 26 percent of the vote, and East Austin entrepreneur Natasha Harper-Madison garnered 25 percent.</p>
<p id="PyKtdd">The candidates are running for the seat being vacated by Ora Houston, the longtime East Austin advocate and first District 1 representative to serve when the council moved to a single-member-district model. District 1 is historically a black neighborhood and has faced issues of displacement and unaffordability for years. Both candidates look to address affordability seriously but from different point of view. Harper-Madison, an East Austin native and president of the East 12th Street Merchants Association, wants to mend some of the ways the area and its population have been left out of the city’s process and prosperity. Salazar, who moved to Austin from Venezuela as a teenager, wants to emphasize and address immigration issues in the conversation about affordability and access to housing and services.</p>
<h3 id="J5HHmu">District 3</h3>
<p id="Gep2Ay">Incumbent Sabino “Pio” Renteria will face his sister, Susana Almanza, in the runoffs. Renteria got 47 percent of the vote, less than the 50 percent required to avoid a runoff, while Almanza received 21 percent.</p>
<p id="4FFCv4">Renteria and Almanza are no strangers to competition with each other; Longtime activist and <a href="http://www.poder-texas.org/">PODER</a> director Almanza ran against Renteria for the seat in 2014, the first local election after Austin adopted a single-member districts.</p>
<p id="rFVrGQ">Renteria has been active in addressing affordable housing issues in his district and has worked to get several projects off the ground without exactly being a bulwark against displacement. Almanza, has for decades been rigorous and consistent in her focus on neighborhood and district advocacy, with an emphasis on environmental activism and addressing gentrification.</p>
<aside id="e08YQq"><div data-anthem-component="newsletter" data-anthem-component-data='{"slug":"austin-curbed"}'></div></aside><h3 id="iqtIQr">District 8</h3>
<p id="p4hJ6j">Paige Ellis received 30 percent of the votes in her bid to replace current council member Ellen Troxclair, who chose not to run again. Candidate Frank Ward, with close to 25 percent of the votes, will face Ellis in the runoff.</p>
<p id="CYdOn2">Environmental marketing expert Ellis has previously volunteered for the Texas Book Festival and Keep Austin Beautiful as well as serving as a state convention delegate for the Texas Democratic Party. Ward, who is on the city’s <a href="https://austintexas.granicus.com/boards/w/48785004fecbf11d">Parks and Recreation Board</a>, would likely take Libertarian-leaning positions (meaning anti-tax and anti-regulation) on most issues, as did Troxclair, who endorsed him. </p>
<p id="WUYHlW">Considering that District 8 encompasses parts of Circle C, Oak Hill, and almost all of the Barton Springs zone that contributes to the Edwards Aquifer, the district’s choice of candidate could be an interesting mini-referendum on environmental and development issues.</p>
<h3 id="E4xAJ2">ACC trustee position, Place 8</h3>
<p id="Hr8F8F">Attorney and community organizer Stephanie Gharakhanian, most recently with with the Workers Defense Project, received 49 percent of the vote. She will compete against Sarah Mills, who garnered 34 percent and is director of government relations and regulatory affairs for the Texas Association for Home Care and Hospice and a former chairwoman of the nonprofit Austin Tenants Council.</p>
<h3 id="V4IzW5">AISD at-large position, Place 9</h3>
<p id="w2UtG7">Carmen Tilton, a senior executive policy adviser for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission with several years’s experience as a legislative policy analyst, received 40 percent of the vote. Runoff opponent Arati Singh received 36 percent and is an educational program designer and evaluator with experience as a bilingual school teacher in the Rio Grande Valley.</p>
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https://austin.curbed.com/2018/11/27/18114877/austin-elections-2018-runoff-early-voting-when-council-candidatesCindy Widner2018-11-07T15:15:32-06:002018-11-07T15:15:32-06:00Election 2018: Local results
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<figcaption>Austin early voters, 2018 | AFP/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Propositions, council seats, and runoffs</p> <p id="dKDXyN">The local items on Austin’s <a href="https://austin.curbed.com/2018/10/22/18009538/austin-election-2018-texas-midterm-guide-vote-voting">midterm election</a> ballots were hardly the nail-biters that many state and national races became. Nevertheless, the results sent some clear messages about local leadership, growth, and change (as well as some more mixed messages in the former of runoffs). Result for council races and propositions are below.</p>
<h3 id="9VBqkA">Mayor</h3>
<p id="juiulN">Incumbent Mayor Steve Adler <a href="http://www.kut.org/post/2018-election-results-adler-tovo-win-re-election-runoffs-districts-1-3-and-8">defeated challenger Laura Morrison</a> (as well as five other rivals who garnered a few votes), with a decisive 59 percent of the vote to Morrison’s 19 percent, according to KUT (the Austin Monitor put <a href="https://www.austinmonitor.com/stories/2018/11/adler-cruises-to-second-term-as-austin-mayor/">Adler’s lead </a>at 61 percent). In his victory speech, the mayor characterized his big win as a mandate that the city wants to continue to “look forward. .... An overwhelming voice that says don’t listen to the voices of the status quo, the do-nothing voices, that get us lost in process, voices that don’t let us move forward at the scale of the size of the challenges that we have.” Adler, first elected in 2014, was presumably referring at least in part to Morrisson, who has questioned the process for <a href="https://austin.curbed.com/2018/8/9/17672754/austin-development-zoning-code-growth">CodeNEXT</a>, the failed effort to overhaul city development code, and questioned the council’s transparency on such proposed projects as a proposed <a href="https://austin.curbed.com/2018/8/15/17695046/austin-major-league-soccer-stadium-mls-crew">Major League Soccer stadium</a>. </p>
<h3 id="BdiC4k">District 1</h3>
<p id="AjOW5U">Community organizer Mariana Salazar, with 26 percent of the vote, and East Austin entrepreneur Natasha Harper-Madison, with 25 percent of the vote, will face each other in December runoff election.</p>
<p id="SkH0vd">Several ran for the seat being vacated by Ora Houston, the longtime East Austin advocate and first District 1 representative to serve when the council moved to a single-member-district model. Vincent Harding, a lawyer and former chair of both Travis County Democratic Party chair and the city’s board of adjustment, was considered an early frontrunner and had received Houston’s endorsement, but came in third in the election.</p>
<h3 id="J5HHmu">District 3</h3>
<p id="Gep2Ay">Incumbent Sabino “Pio” Renteria will face his sister, Susana Almanza, in December’s runoffs. Renteria got 47 percent of the vote, less than the 50 percent required to avoid a runoff, while Almanza received 21 percent.</p>
<p id="4FFCv4">Renteria and Almanza are no strangers to competition with each other; Longtime activist and <a href="http://www.poder-texas.org/">PODER</a> director Almanza ran against Renteria for the seat in 2014, the first local election after Austin adopted a single-member districts.</p>
<h3 id="kweQCX">District 5</h3>
<p id="532oSF">Incumbent Ann Kitchen ran unopposed—and won.</p>
<h3 id="iqtIQr">District 8</h3>
<p id="p4hJ6j">Paige Ellis received 30 percent of the votes in her bid to replace current council member Ellen Troxclair, who chose not to run again. Candidate Frank Ward, with close to 25 percent of the votes, will face Ellis in a runoff.</p>
<p id="CYdOn2">Environmental marketing expert Ellis has previously volunteered for the Texas Book Festival and Keep Austin Beautiful as well as serving as a state convention delegate for the Texas Democratic Party. Ward, who is on the city’s <a href="https://austintexas.granicus.com/boards/w/48785004fecbf11d">Parks and Recreation Board</a>, would likely take Libertarian-leaning positions (meaning anti-tax and anti-regulation) on most issues, as did Troxclair, who endorsed him. </p>
<h3 id="BhOoYo">District 9</h3>
<p id="51FJ89">Incumbent Kathie Tovo was reelected with almost 53 percent of the votes in her district. District 9. Tovo had three challengers, the closest of whom is transportation engineer and a committed urbanist Danielle Skidmore, who received less than 32 percent of the vote.</p>
<aside id="rQ0qiC"><div data-anthem-component="newsletter" data-anthem-component-data='{"slug":"austin-curbed"}'></div></aside><h2 id="fkz0cR">Propositions</h2>
<p id="swJ359">Austin voters overwhelmingly approved seven tax-supported, general obligation bond proposals totaling a historic $925 million. Propositions A-G, which will mean a 2-percent property tax rate increase for the next 30 years, passed handily, with votes in favor ranging from the 70- to 84-percent range.</p>
<p id="wWxftC">Propositions H and I, which clarify the process from removing a Planning Commissioner and make non-substantive grammatical changes to the city charter, respectively, also passed by significant favorable margins.</p>
<p id="lyoktf">Propositions J and K, the two most debated props this time around were both petition-led and both placed on the ballot after the city was sued to do so.</p>
<p id="jTPx2J">Prop J would have required a waiting period and a citywide vote totaling up to three years before any comprehensive land development code revisions could take effect. It was voted down by 52 percent of the votes. Prop K proposed a “fiscal efficiency” audit for the city, which already has an internal audit; 58 percent of votes went against it.</p>
<p id="diaRpk">For more <a href="https://austin.curbed.com/2018/10/22/18009538/austin-election-2018-texas-midterm-guide-vote-voting">thorough descriptions of candidates and proposals</a> that were on the ballot, check out Curbed Austin’s 2018 <a href="https://austin.curbed.com/2018/10/22/18009538/austin-election-2018-texas-midterm-guide-vote-voting">midterm election guide</a>.</p>
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https://austin.curbed.com/2018/11/7/18072706/austin-election-2018-local-results-mayor-council-propositionsCindy Widner2018-11-06T11:31:57-06:002018-11-06T11:31:57-06:002018 Austin voter guide
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<p>A cheat sheet for locals casting their midterm ballots</p> <p id="0KjHi6">Austin, it’s time! <a href="https://www.vox.com/a/midterms-2018/texas-election-results">Election Day for Texas’s midterms</a> is Tuesday, November 2! If you haven’t voted and are registered, you have from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday to show up and make your voice heard.</p>
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<p id="XTbHLk">There are 14 <a href="https://www.vox.com/a/midterms-2018/texas-election-results">statewide races on every Texan’s ballot</a> this year this year, including one with some guy named <a href="https://www.vox.com/a/midterms-2018/top-senate-races">Beto running to replace incumbent Ted Cruz in the U.S. Senate</a>. There are also races for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, other state and county offices, and contests for several judicial seats at all levels. For <a href="https://my.lwv.org/texas/voters-guide">more information on state and county races</a>, check out the Texas League of Women Voters site or the <a href="https://apps.texastribune.org/features/2018/texas-midterm-election-ballot-tool/?_ga=2.55443499.1482653956.1540229262-208109799.1529360830">Texas Tribune</a>.</p>
<p id="MwleMw">Below is a guide to, primarily, local races and bond propositions that affect housing, transit, and public facilities (which is pretty much all of them). </p>
<p id="sSsClS"><em>Note: This guide has been corrected to remove the statement that money to replace the Redbud Trail bridge specifically would be allocated if Proposition G passes. If the proposition passes, the Austin City Council will decide on which bridge(s) will be replaced or repaired with the approved funds.</em></p>
<h2 id="cgHkNo">Austin bond proposals</h2>
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<p id="VYrG5T">The Austin City Council has put seven tax-supported, general obligation bond proposals totaling $925 million on the ballot this election. It’s a <a href="https://communityimpact.com/austin/central-austin/city-county/2018/06/29/austin-city-councils-925-million-bond-proposal-includes-historic-ask-for-affordable-housing/">historic ask</a> for the city and will carry a 2-percent property tax rate increase for the next 30 years if passed. </p>
<h3 id="BYu2Mc">Proposition A</h3>
<h4 id="VTTha0">Affordable housing; $250 million</h4>
<p id="Zsz5Eg">Also a historic amount of bond money in Austin, if approved, the funds would go toward developing and maintaining housing for low-income and homeless residents, including rental property and homes for ownership.</p>
<h3 id="vXGtLb">Proposition B</h3>
<h4 id="F1ni6d">Libraries, museums, and cultural centers; $128 million</h4>
<p id="TUjT7W">This bond includes money for renovating some branch/neighborhood libraries and the former John Henry Faulk central library, which will be used by the Austin History Center; renovations to the Mexican-American Cultural Center, the Asian-American Resource Center, the George Washington Carver Museum, and the Mexic-Arte Museum; acquiring property for “creative spaces”; and funding replacement of the Dougherty Arts Center, currently on a property that the city plans to redevelop. </p>
<h3 id="AxB9NM">Proposition C </h3>
<h4 id="CVlB9h">Parks and recreation; $149 million</h4>
<p id="dCK2IT">Money would go toward renovating some of Austin’s long-neglected swimming pools, as well as building a new one in Colony Park in Northeast Austin; acquisition of new parkland; parks improvements including building rehabilitation; miscellaneous parks and recreation buildings; and miscellaneous improvements to playscapes, parking lots, trails, city cemeteries, and the like.</p>
<h3 id="GxMFnK">Proposition D</h3>
<h4 id="OQ50PT">Flood mitigation, open space, and water quality protection, $184 million</h4>
<p id="DkqRE5">The timing for this one seems appropriate: It’s for flood mitigation, primarily through infrastructure improvements, flood-plain buyouts, and purchase of open space.</p>
<h3 id="sHnaFk">Proposition E</h3>
<h4 id="g83fPF">Health and human services; $16 million</h4>
<p id="OQ02gc">Money would go specifically to developing a center in Southeast Austin’s historically underserved Dove Springs area.</p>
<h3 id="wWuCQQ">Proposition F</h3>
<h4 id="Xyltpk">Public safety; $38 million</h4>
<p id="26L7JZ">This proposition focuses on facility renovations, including those for several fire and EMS stations</p>
<h3 id="Grh3UI">Proposition G</h3>
<h4 id="MuOV9B">Transportation infrastructure; $160 million</h4>
<p id="CM5AR6">A wide variety of projects is covered here, including rebuilding streets, replacing or repairing bridges (specific ones to be decided by the City Council if the proposition passes) <s>the bridge over Lady Bird Lake on Redbud Trail (which leads to luxurious West Lake Hills, and don’t think there haven’t been questions about why that municipality isn’t throwing in a few bucks)</s>, sidewalk repair and improvements, intersection and pedestrian safety improvements, traffic signals, and a neighborhood partnering program for small, resident-driven projects on city-owned property.</p>
<p id="CN8Yr1">Seven of the proposals would have an impact on property taxes, the specifics for which the city provides in a handy chart:</p>
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<cite>City of Austin</cite>
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<p id="WBkz7g">The following propositions would not affect your property taxes, or at least aren’t currently meant to be paid for by them.</p>
<h3 id="UE8Sd3">Proposition H </h3>
<h4 id="KxoUpm">City charter amendment</h4>
<p id="aklsbB">Prop H would clarify the term lengths for Planning Commission members to allow the City Council to set rules regarding the schedule for the terms and a process for it to remove commission members when necessary (rather than have those rules put to a city vote), basically correcting a linguistic hitch that has caused problems in the past.</p>
<h3 id="uv3rAp">Proposition I</h3>
<h4 id="vVgYrw">Proofreading</h4>
<p id="XxAI9Y">We jest, a little, but this proposal would approve specific, <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/12s2IVeiOXx9OuhW7RHZHGItpfMb4YjpR/view">non-substantive changes</a> to such things as grammar, punctuation, and spelling to be made to the City Charter.</p>
<h3 id="aJlaLj">Proposition J</h3>
<h4 id="sbevcA">Land code amendment process changes</h4>
<p id="rEqLWI">Prop J likely received more publicity than any of the other proposals and prompted the expression of passionate public opinions on both sides. Motivated, more or less, in response to <a href="https://www.curbed.com/2016/12/7/13829950/austin-population-growth-zoning-code">CodeNEXT</a>—the ambitious, multiyear code rewrite that the <a href="https://austin.curbed.com/2018/8/9/17672754/austin-development-zoning-code-growth">city ultimately abandoned</a> in August—the proposal’s passage would require a waiting period and a citywide vote totaling up to three years before any comprehensive land development code revisions could take effect. </p>
<p id="WJ2dHf">Proponents of the proposition sued to get it on the ballot, as the city initially refused, taking the position that (in addition to creating inefficiency and putting the responsibility of working out technical zoning and code revisions in the hands of non-experts), state law prohibits putting zoning issues to a public vote. If it passes, we’ll find out.</p>
<h3 id="2b3Lcn">Proposition K</h3>
<h4 id="a0KTvK">Conduct an internal audit of the city</h4>
<p id="fZ8Cxh">This one has also led to some vocal call-and-response from supporters and opponents and is also on the ballot due to a successful lawsuit against the city. Driven by a theoretically “citizen-led” petition, the proposed “fiscal efficiency” audit has drawn detractors from just about every sector, due primarily to a lack of transparency surrounding the group that spearheaded it—a political action committee (Citizens for an Accountable Austin) that used a new nonprofit organization (Austin Civic Fund) to shield the identity of its donors. According to a September <em>Austin American-Statesman</em> article, what detractors call the PAC’s <a href="https://www.statesman.com/news/20180918/did-backers-of-city-audit-proposition-skirt-dark-money-restrictions">“dark money”</a> has Republican connections, as well as possibly being illegal in Austin specifically—due, if true, to being one of those pesky city statutes the state Legislature loves to overrule. Other salient information: The city already has an internal auditor and auditing processes, and the proposed cost of the external fiscal efficiency audit is $1 million to $5 million.</p>
<aside id="AcguWQ"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Texas Election Day 2018: Food Specials for Voters in Austin","url":"https://austin.eater.com/2018/10/22/18010236/election-day-texas-specials-food-drink-austin-restaurants"}]}'></div></aside><aside id="GrYIPw"><div data-anthem-component="newsletter" data-anthem-component-data='{"slug":"austin-curbed"}'></div></aside> <figure class="e-image">
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<h2 id="gewUah">Austin Mayor and City Council</h2>
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</div>
<p id="dKDXyN">These are the candidates in each race who have emerged as major contenders as of press time.</p>
<h3 id="9VBqkA">Mayor</h3>
<p id="juiulN">It would be easy to characterize this as a battle over urbanism, but that would be oversimplifying matters. Adler, the incumbent, has been strong on mobility, getting his <a href="https://austin.curbed.com/2016/11/9/13575896/austin-traffic-transportation-bond-election-2016">artisanal proposal</a> for such passed in 2016—although most of the money went to roads and highways rather than bicycle or pedestrian infrastructure—and has been quite the ambassador to the tech sector, which drives not only much of Austin’s recent economy but innovations in housing and transportation as well. </p>
<p id="8I4IHv">Morrison has years of experience on the council and as head of the Austin Neighborhoods Council—which has caused her to be cast by many as the “neighborhoods” (read: single-family, central-city) candidate and thus anathema to urbanism, especially market-based urbanism. Both characterizations are oversimplifications but have a basis in past positions. Morrison’s campaign highlights a desire for a more transparent (and perhaps more citizenry-oriented) decision-making process rather than issues with the particular projects on which she has recently dissented. Both have been active in addressing housing affordability, homelessness, and grappling with Austin’s growth (albeit usually in different ways).</p>
<h3 id="BdiC4k">District 1</h3>
<p id="AjOW5U">There are several candidates running for the seat being vacated by Ora Houston, the longtime East Austin advocate and first District 1 representative to serve when the council moved to a single-member-district model. The two that look to make it a race are Vincent Harding, a lawyer and former chair of both Travis County Democratic Party chair and the city’s board of adjustment, and entrepreneur Natasha Harper-Madison, an East Austin native and president of the East 12th Street Merchants Association. </p>
<h3 id="J5HHmu">District 3</h3>
<p id="hHHCj3">Incumbent Sabino “Pio” Renteria has been active in addressing affordable housing issues in his district and has worked to get several projects off the ground without exactly being a bulwark against displacement. In a repeat of the 2014 elections, he is opposed by Susana Almanza, who is the director of PODER as well as his sister and who seems to have a lower profile than she did during the last go-round but is consistent in her focus on neighborhood and district advocacy. Amit Motwani, the chief information officer for the local United Way, has experience with and innovative visions for addressing housing and other issues faced by low-income families. As Renteria’s appointee to the city’s Board of Adjustment, James Valadez is the candidate with the most experience navigating city process.</p>
<h3 id="kweQCX">District 5</h3>
<p id="532oSF">Incumbent Ann Kitchen is running unopposed.</p>
<h3 id="iqtIQr">District 8</h3>
<p id="CYdOn2">Lone council conservative Ellen Troxclair declined to run for reelection and paused to endorse candidate Frank Ward on her way out the door. If elected, Ward would likely take Libertarian-leaning positions (meaning anti-tax and anti-regulation) on most issues, as did Troxclair. Considering that District 8 encompasses parts of Circle C, Oak Hill, and almost all of the Barton Springs zone that contributes to the Edwards Aquifer, candidates Paige Ellis, an environmental marketing expert; environmental attorney Bobby Levinski; and Rich DePalma, vice-chair of the city’s parks and recreation board, could all provide interesting foils to Troxclair’s record and her choice of candidate.</p>
<h3 id="BhOoYo">District 9</h3>
<p id="51FJ89">Like Laura Morrison, incumbent Kathie Tovo has a great deal of City Council experience under her belt and is often cast as a neighborhoods-centric member and candidate—interesting, from an urbanist point of view, since one of the neighborhoods she represents, West Campus, is one of the densest in the city. She has been a proponent of affordable housing bonds, worked on addressing homelessness, and helped make downtown’s Sobering Center happen. On the other hand, candidate Danielle Skidmore is a transportation engineer and a committed urbanist when it comes to land use, meaning the race (minus Tovo’s inherent advantage of being the incumbent) could be a barometer of where central Austin stands on urbanism these days.</p>
<p id="dYLt8S"></p>
<p id="O9bGr8">• <a href="https://www.lwv.org/elections/vote411">Vote411</a> [League of Women Voters]</p>
<p id="k7h6is">• <a href="https://communityimpact.com/austin/central-austin/city-county/2018/06/29/austin-city-councils-925-million-bond-proposal-includes-historic-ask-for-affordable-housing/">Austin City Council‘s $925 million bond proposal includes historic ask for affordable housing</a> [<em>Community Impact</em>]</p>
<p id="8m1kpi">• <a href="https://apps.texastribune.org/features/2018/texas-midterm-election-ballot-tool/?_ga=2.55443499.1482653956.1540229262-208109799.1529360830">Here’s what Texas voters should know for the 2018 midterms</a> [Texas Tribune]</p>
<p id="Pi2Meb">• <a href="https://www.statesman.com/news/20180918/did-backers-of-city-audit-proposition-skirt-dark-money-restrictions">Did backers of city audit proposition skirt ‘dark money’ restrictions?</a> [<em>Austin American-Statesman</em>]</p>
<p id="aLSSXL">• <a href="https://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2018-10-19/chronicle-endorsements/">Chronicle Endorsements</a> [<em>The Austin Chronicle</em>]</p>
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https://austin.curbed.com/2018/10/22/18009538/austin-election-2018-texas-midterm-guide-vote-votingCindy Widner2018-11-05T19:48:47-06:002018-11-05T19:48:47-06:00Election 2018: How to get a free ride to vote in Austin
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/245XSDVAkPB8VnaARQMCGN7jwZ0=/167x0:2834x2000/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62048217/GettyImages_928248780.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>A pedestrian walks past Austin City Hall, an early voting center, on March 6, 2018 in Austin, Texas. | <a class="ql-link" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/pedestrian-walks-past-austin-city-hall-an-early-voting-news-photo/928248780" target="_blank">Getty Images</a></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>So many ways to get to the polls at little or no cost</p> <p id="GIlWlo">This story was originally published on November 1 and has been updated.</p>
<p id="EV45z3">Early voting in Texas has ended, but there are still plenty of people to get to the polls to vote in the <a href="https://www.vox.com/a/midterms-2018">midterms</a> on Election Day: Tuesday, November 6.</p>
<p id="ElVFi2">There are a number of reasons people wait until Election Day to vote early—many like the ritual and camaraderie, for instance—but local businesses, nonprofit groups, political parties, and public transit agencies want to make sure being unable to get to the polls is not an obstacle for any voter. Here are some options for Friday, November 2, the last day of early voting, and Election Day.</p>
<h3 id="1ZNo2k">Lyft</h3>
<p id="pGASOB">Depending on where you live, Lyft rides to polls are free or half off. Working with nonprofits, the company has been handing out 50-percent discount codes that will be valid on Election Day.</p>
<p id="RGE51a">In addition, it is working with nonpartisan nonprofits Voto Latino, local Urban League affiliates, and the National Federation of the Blind to offer free rides in underserved communities.</p>
<h3 id="CqiViq">Uber</h3>
<p id="0Qpwqs">The ride-hailing company has partnered with <a href="https://www.democracy.works/">Democracy Works</a> and <a href="https://votetogetherusa.org/">#VoteTogether</a> to offer promo codes during early voting. The codes offer up to $10 in credit for riders going to and from a polling location.</p>
<h3 id="qMYwZc">Capital Metro/public transit</h3>
<p id="hNMvR0">Capital Metro will offer <a href="https://www.capmetro.org/ridetovote/">free rides</a> Election Day on all MetroBus, MetroRapid, MetroExpress, MetroRail and MetroAccess* services.</p>
<p id="leNIyP"><strong>Capital Area Rural Transit System (</strong><strong>CARTS</strong><strong>)</strong> will provide free rides on Election Day for voters in non-urbanized areas of Travis and Williamson Counties. Schedule the Country Bus ride 24 hours in advance by calling (512) 478-7433 and indicate your wish to travel to a polling location.</p>
<h3 id="0u0U00">Lime scooters and bikes</h3>
<p id="ifU0GP">Lime will offer its dockless bikes and scooters for two free rides, up to 30 minutes each, to and from polling locations on Election Day. Use promo code “LIME2VOTE18” to unlock the free rides on November 6.</p>
<h3 id="5sTOgi">Austin Justice Coalition</h3>
<p id="mKecIT">Volunteers will provide rides to the polls during early voting and on Election Day. Voters can request one with the organization’s <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf6LrmaWVB-8QmUNnWr8MYyzi0mden_4MJr7lVCRiOem_sxyA/viewform?fbclid=IwAR1xW8fmuLfkI5ONMNPz-gdRNKQvkofoT1xsBHN-ig5IlIKIfZfg-BZ_jUw">Google Form</a>.</p>
<h3 id="weCFHl">Travis County Democratic Party Volunteers</h3>
<p id="VujmaP">Call (512) 472-8683 to schedule a free ride with a volunteer to the polls—or to volunteer yourself.</p>
<h3 id="e2v34g">... and more?</h3>
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https://austin.curbed.com/2018/11/1/18053508/austin-free-ride-vote-voting-uber-2018-election-lyft-public-transitCindy Widner2018-11-05T15:03:01-06:002018-11-05T15:03:01-06:00Voting in Austin: Where to go, what to bring, what to know
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/vX5sJW5rQmwvg3b01Mkw7j-XvZI=/1013x0:4488x2606/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/61841669/shutterstock_376847743.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Shutterstock</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Election basics for 2018</p> <p id="Y7hTvO"><em>This article was originally published on October 20 and has been updated since then.</em></p>
<p id="Y4P6JU">Last chance to vote, Austin! Election Day for the <a href="https://www.vox.com/a/midterms-2018">midterms</a> is Tuesday, November 6. If you didn’t vote early and are registered at your current address, you have from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. that day to let your voice be heard (via your ballot).</p>
<p id="43tFx1">With all that in mind, we present this guide to the <a href="https://www.vox.com/a/midterms-2018/texas-election-results">2018 Texas midterm elections</a>—from when and how to vote, to the races you need to know about.</p>
<h5 id="Y15Twe">When and where to vote </h5>
<p id="g92V2S">Travis County voters can cast their ballots at any election center this year (an important change from previous years, when you had to vote in your precinct).</p>
<p id="jL2bog">The county has a comprehensive list of <a href="http://www.traviscountyclerk.org/eclerk/content/images/polling_locations/pdf_tc_elections_2018.11.06_G18EDAYSitesFlyer.pdf">Election Day voting locations</a> on as well as a <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/1/viewer?hl=en&mid=1UChxxj7yTBy_Zz0Zotc_5n9jl1JJicJ9&ll=30.33234631337803%2C-97.73153024500004&z=11">Google map of locations</a> on its website. You can look up these <a href="https://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/voter/county.shtml">voting sites by county</a> on the Texas secretary of state’s page or login to the site to get a list of places narrowed down to <a href="https://teamrv-mvp.sos.texas.gov/MVP/mvp.do">where you are registered</a>. You can also just look for a place displaying a “Vote Here/Aquí” sign.</p>
<p id="jvbLkP">Election Day Voting locations are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. If you are in line by 7 p.m., s<em>tay in line</em>. You must be allowed to vote.</p>
<aside id="ncrsPI"><div data-anthem-component="newsletter" data-anthem-component-data='{"slug":"austin-curbed"}'></div></aside><h5 id="3RpNVA">What to take with you</h5>
<p id="dddMke">The following are required to vote in Texas:</p>
<p id="TMASXZ">• Be registered to vote in Texas. Check if you’re registered to vote.</p>
<p id="xLoTGA">• Be a US citizen</p>
<p id="dkNDyy">• Be 18 by Election Day, Nov. 8</p>
<p id="4ZsejU">• Live at a Texas address</p>
<p id="3e3c58">• Not be serving a sentence (including parole) for a felony conviction</p>
<p id="rClXFW">• Not have been determined by a court to be (1) totally mentally incapacitated; or (2) partially mentally incapacitated without the right to vote.</p>
<p id="3nQAt1">Got all that? Here’s what you need to vote in person at the polls:</p>
<p id="aJfeIG">You must show a valid ID to vote. The ID must be current or be expired for fewer than four years:</p>
<p id="DpvOE3">• Texas driver license issued by the Department of Public Safety</p>
<p id="tJKQmt">• Texas election ID certificate</p>
<p id="9XGUcY">• Texas personal ID card </p>
<p id="Yot2AS">• Texas license to carry a handgun </p>
<p id="dFkCGt">• US military ID card with your photograph</p>
<p id="Y2ymrB">• US citizenship certificate containing your photograph (doesn’t need to be current)</p>
<p id="XnCtuB">• US passport</p>
<p id="duz6ee">If you do not have any of the above forms of ID Voters without ID and cannot obtain one due to a reasonable impediment, you’ll need to sign a sworn statement that there is a reason why you don’t have any of the forms of ID and present one of the following: </p>
<ul>
<li id="gw161S">Certified birth certificate (original)</li>
<li id="mq2F7j">Valid voter registration certificate</li>
<li id="6rraZD">A current utility bill, government check, bank statement or paycheck, or government document with your name and an address (original required if it contains a photograph). </li>
</ul>
<p id="PuS1ev">If you meet these requirements and are eligible to vote, you may vote in the election.</p>
<p id="luwE9c">If you don’t have ID and do not have a reasonable impediment to obtaining one, or did not bring ID to the polling place, <em>you have the right to cast a provisional ballot</em>. In order to have the provisional ballot counted, you will be required to visit the voter registrar’s office within six calendar days of the date of the election to either present one of the forms of photo ID or submit one a temporary affidavit in the presence of the county voter registrar while attesting to the fact that you do not have any of the required photo IDs.</p>
<h5 id="Pe8H2R">How to get to a polling place if you don’t have a car</h5>
<p id="IV8oVx">All Capital Metro <a href="https://austin.curbed.com/2018/11/1/18053508/austin-free-ride-vote-voting-uber-2018-election-lyft-public-transit">public transportation is free</a> on Election Day. In addition, ride-hailing services Uber and Lyft are offering discounted rides, as are dockless scooter and bicycle companies.</p>
<p id="MsO2zS">A few organizations are offering free rides if you sign up for them. There are more details in Curbed Austin’s article on the subject, “<a href="https://austin.curbed.com/2018/11/1/18053508/austin-free-ride-vote-voting-uber-2018-election-lyft-public-transit">How to get a free ride to vote in Austin</a>.”</p>
<h5 id="SOtCLe">What to do if you have a disability and can’t get into a polling place</h5>
<p id="Yv1T5R">Voters with disabilities that limit their mobility and who have no means to help them get into a building where they can vote can get their ballots curbside—though it does require the assistance of a person who is able to get into the building.</p>
<p id="QKuTeG">If a voter with a disability has someone else drive them to the polling place, that person can park close to the entrance, go inside, cut the line, and ask an election worker to take a ballot to the vehicle for voting. Voters with this type of disability who can drive are advised to bring a companion to do the same. Groups providing free rides to the polls might also have volunteers who are willing to do this.</p>
<h5 id="NxPSFW">What to do with your phone while you’re voting</h5>
<p id="SumeQx">Put it away (and turn it off). Not only are voting selfies, as in much of the country, forbidden, but Texas’ Election Code also states that voters cannot use a “wireless communication device within 100 feet of a voting station.” If you need a reminder list of choices, you’ll have to take it in on paper or some other non-wireless device.</p>
<h5 id="FZ43KB">What about wearing my “Beto for Texas” T-shirt?</h5>
<p id="aKOuf7">Texas law prohibits “electioneering” within 100 feet of the voting site. That includes the display of partisan paraphernalia on one’s bod, and people have been turned away for doing so (and, presumably, refusing to cover them up). So if you’re planning on wearing a such items to the polls, be prepared to be asked to remove them or cover them up.</p>
<h5 id="v4YvVx"><strong>What to do if you’re harassed while voting</strong></h5>
<p id="phnsen">It’s not exactly a pleasant thing to think about, but considering the fervor surrounding electoral politics at the moment, there’s a chance—however minuscule—that there may be instances of voter intimidation at polling sites.</p>
<p id="sKseRL">Voter intimidation and harassment is illegal. If you see harassment, deceptive information, or other suspicious behavior at the polls, report it to:</p>
<p id="WbY5fc">• The nearest election worker</p>
<p id="hF24fE">• Your local municipal clerk or the chief elections inspector at your polling place</p>
<p id="A4eHdR">• The U.S. Department of Justice Voting Rights Hotline: 800-253-3931; TTY line 877-267-8971</p>
<p id="ng89yg">• The Election Protection Hotline: 844-898-6837</p>
<p id="OxbiO6">Poll watchers are allowed to observe inside the polling places, but they cannot:</p>
<p id="a4955B">• Speak to you, ask you for ID, or interact directly with you in any way;</p>
<p id="TOU0wu">• Watch you vote at the voting station (unless you ask for assistance from an election officer);</p>
<p id="85nDQc">• Directly challenge your vote or even speak with the election judges or clerks about the election;</p>
<p id="rsx05u">• Use a cell phone or other wireless communication device in polling place or carry any recording devices (video or sound) or wear a name tag.</p>
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https://austin.curbed.com/2018/10/19/17998958/election-2018-texas-austin-state-where-when-guideCindy Widner2018-10-31T10:30:15-05:002018-10-31T10:30:15-05:00Find out how long voting lines are before you go
<figure>
<img alt="Voters In Super Tuesday States Cast Their Ballots" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/O-IL16p-8Gm0Pw0toeUG48pScDo=/311x0:3286x2231/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/61881575/513188044.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Here’s how to find out before you go to the polls</p> <p id="uT02nt">Texans flocked to the polls Monday, the first day of early voting in this cycle, More people voted in Travis County on the first day of early voting than in the same time period exceeding first-day turnout (and mail-in voting) in the 2016 presidential election and tripling the number from 2014’s midterm election, the <em>Austin American-Statesman</em> reported Tuesday.</p>
<p id="2l885C">The Travis County website was down briefly Tuesday morning, and the continues to struggle to get all its new registrants in the system. </p>
<aside id="MjJ55N"><div data-anthem-component="newsletter" data-anthem-component-data='{"slug":"austin-curbed"}'></div></aside><p id="baTO20">Despite delays, long lines at several polling stations were greeted primarily with glee over increased early voting participation, if Facebook and Twitter were any indication. </p>
<p id="jqeoj2">Happiness and joy about democratic voter participation aside, however, those who have yet to vote might be pleased to know that the county website has a function that allows you to look up your approximate wait in more or less real time. Easy peasy.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/O3PRf21eDnz7nVAVkSgYaxccq8U=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/13321341/Screen_Shot_2018_10_23_at_2.46.18_PM.png">
</figure>
<p id="UVbmQ9">You can see a <a href="http://tcto.maps.arcgis.com/apps/Minimalist/index.html?appid=c181a61d343b4645aa7c1c3cd445aff6">map of all the county poll stations</a> and wait times indicated by a stoplight system (red/green/blue) on the site, type in your address (or just zoom in to your desired voting area), and get an idea of how crowded the centers in that area are.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/G0zPrl6-Bullx_XHm3a3wNxdIBg=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/13321337/Screen_Shot_2018_10_23_at_2.44.53_PM.png">
</figure>
<p id="LGOscK">Alternately, if put in an address on its <a href="http://www.votetravis.com/lookup/submit.do">quick-links page</a>, you’ll get a smaller list of nearby stations with a more precise estimate of waiting times (by hour and minute). (That page provides links to other voter information as well).</p>
<p id="cSrrsf">Remember that if you are registered in Travis County, you can vote at any official voting center (look for a “Vote Here/Aqui” sign).</p>
<p id="my9SBg">• <a href="https://www.statesman.com/news/20181023/travis-co-monday-voting-outpaced-2016-first-day-turnout">Travis Co. Monday voting outpaced 2016 turnout</a> [<em>AAS</em>]</p>
<p id="9qEVE8">• <a href="http://www.votetravis.com/lookup/submit.do">Travis County quick links page</a></p>
https://austin.curbed.com/2018/10/23/18009794/austin-how-long-short-voting-line-where-now-real-timeCindy Widner