Today is runoff election day in the Austin area. You'll be forgiven if you didn't even know there was a runoff election.
Only about 3 percent of registered voters cast a ballot during the early voting period. If you vote today, you'll likely just see two races on the ballot – both for places on the Austin Community College board of trustees. But for those who live in northwest Austin, there’s a third race – this one for city council.
ACC Board Runoff
While those in Austin may be familiar with the runoff election for the Austin City Council's District 10 seat – a matchup between incumbent Sheri Gallo and challenger Alison Alter – you may not be as familiar with the runoff elections in not one, but two, places on the Austin Community College Board of Trustees.
Because that board's seats are all at-large and not geographically representative districts, everybody in Travis, Williamson, Hays, Bastrop, Lee and Caldwell counties gets a chance to vote for the would-be trustees in Districts 4 and 9.
- In District 4, Michael J. Lewis squares off against Sean Hassan, who received more votes than both challengers George Robinson and Lewis in the general election with 44.63 percent of the vote. Lewis received 28.88 percent of the vote in Travis and Williamson Counties.
- In District 9, Lupe Sosa is up against Julie Ann Nitsch. Sosa garnered nearly 41 percent of the vote in the general, while Nitsch secured 34.15 percent in Travis and Williamson Counties.
District 10
And, of course, those within the boundaries of District 10 have a chance to choose between Gallo and Alter. Incumbent Gallo got 48.22 percent of the vote for the council seat, just shy of the 50 percent cutoff to win the district outright in a crowded field. Alter got 35.52 percent of the vote – a difference of just over 4,600 votes between the two. Ousted challengers Rob Walker and Nicholas Virden got 14 percent and 2 percent of the vote in the general election, respectively.
As KUT's Audrey McGlinchy reports, the runoff has gotten expensive and, at times, nasty:
(For more on where Alter and Gallo stand on the issues, check out our District 10 debate from October, or our breakdown of the candidates' opinions on the issues facing Austin here.)
Make Sure You're Registered
You can go here to check if you are indeed registered properly in Travis County. Check out this site to verify your registration anywhere in the state.
Find Your Closest Early Voting Location
Consult the handy map below to find the closest or most convenient polling place in Travis County. If you're registered to vote in Travis County, you can vote at any location on Election Day.
If you're in Bastrop County, you can vote early at the ACC Elgin campus from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
If you're in Williamson, Hays, Caldwell and Lee counties, consult the ACC handout below for Election Day poll locations.
