Step 4 of 8
Know the Election Days
In the United States, there is more than one Election Day. Different votes happen on different days. Here are the main ones.
The primary — the “tryouts”
Each team (we call teams parties) picks its player first. You usually vote in only one party’s primary. (If you moved here from another state, you may have used a caucus — an in-person meeting to pick — instead. Texas uses primaries, not caucuses.)
The general election — the “championship game”
The winners from each party face off. This is the big one, in November.
A runoff — “overtime”
Sometimes nobody wins clearly. Then the top two go to overtime — a runoff — on a later day.
How often?
- The President is chosen only every 4 years.
- Many other offices — like City Council and the State Legislature — are voted on more often.
- Austin City Council races often go to a runoff.
This year’s dates (Austin, Travis County)
The next big election is the general election on Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
- Register by: Monday, October 5, 2026 (30 days before).
- If voting by mail, apply by: Friday, October 23, 2026 (your application must be received by then, not just postmarked).
- Early voting: October 19–30, 2026.
- Election Day: November 3, 2026.
- Possible runoff: December ??, 2026 (to be determined).
Dates can change. Always check the official Texas election dates page (may be in English or Spanish only).
⚠ Watch out — common mistakes
- Show up for the right election. There is more than one election day — check which one is next for you.
- City Council has no party primary. You vote for City Council in November (and a December runoff if no one wins over half). You do not need to vote in a spring party primary to vote for City Council. Other local races have no party either — city offices, school board, and community college board — and ballot questions (yes-or-no propositions and bonds). (Judges and county offices in Texas are partisan, so those do have primaries.)
- A runoff means voting again. Your November vote does not carry over — you must come back and vote in the runoff.
- Dates change every cycle. Trust the dates above and the official calendar, not your memory. Add them to your calendar if you have one.