More results to come, but this runoff race is probably over. Early voting totals from the Austin City Council Place 4 runoff are in, and Laura Morrison got 60% of the vote to Cid Galindo's 40%.

Categories: City Politics | Elections |
Posted by Elise Hu at 7:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Governor Rick Perry picked general election day, November 4, 2008, for voters in State Senate District 17 to choose outgoing State Senator Kyle Janek's replacement.

Candidates must file applications with the Secretary of State no later than 5:00 p.m. on Aug. 29, 2008.

Democrat Chris Bell, the party's 2006 nominee for Governor, is thinking about making a run for it.

But for State Reps Charlie Howard and Scott Hochberg, who are also said to be considering a run, this special election date kinda stinks. It means they would have to resign their house seats in order to take a chance at the senate seat.

Categories: Elections | Texas Senate |
Posted by Elise Hu at 10:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Less than half a percent of registered voters in Travis County cast a ballot in Monday's first day of early voting for Austin's municipal elections. AISD school bonds and three city council seats are among the items on the ballot. Election day is May 10th, which is Mother's Day weekend, which may dampen turnout even more.

A total of 1765 Austinites voted early yesterday, and that includes 131 mali-in ballots received by the Travis County clerk. The Randalls at Research and Braker saw the highest first-day turnout, at 165 voters.

Meanwhile, poll workers at the Round Rock ISD Performing Arts Center probably had to find other entertainment on Monday. Only three ballots were cast there all day. So if you live by that polling place, go show those workers some love and cast a ballot, if they are awake.

Remember you can vote anywhere during early voting, so long as you have your registration card or ID.

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Categories: City Politics | Elections |
Posted by Elise Hu at 8:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By a 6-3 vote, the high court upholds voter ID laws in Indiana, which experts expect will fuel stronger voter ID movements in other states. Last session, eleven Democratic state senators in Texas blocked a voter ID requirement from becoming law. You might recall that, since State Senator Mario Gallegos, D-Houston, had to come back from liver transplant recovery in order to vote against it. This is new, so there's not a whole lot on it yet, but here's Indiana's WRTV-TV:

WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court ruled Monday that states can require voters to produce photo identification without violating their constitutional rights, validating Republican-inspired voter ID laws.

In a splintered 6-3 ruling, the court upheld Indiana's strict photo ID requirement, which Democrats and civil rights groups said would deter poor, older and minority voters from casting ballots. Its backers said it was needed to deter fraud.

It was the most important voting rights case since the Bush v. Gore dispute that sealed the 2000 election for George W. Bush.

The law "is amply justified by the valid interest in protecting 'the integrity and reliability of the electoral process,"' Justice John Paul Stevens said in an opinion that was joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and Anthony Kennedy.

Justices Samuel Alito, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas also agreed with the outcome, but wrote separately.

Justices Stephen Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and David Souter dissented.

More than 20 states require some form of identification at the polls. Courts have upheld voter ID laws in Arizona, Georgia and Michigan, but struck down Missouri's. Monday's decision comes a week before Indiana's presidential primary.

Categories: Elections | Litigation |
Posted by Elise Hu at 10:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We'll know who wins the early vote in the the Travis County Democratic runoff at seven o'clock straight up, says the Travis County Clerk's public information manager Mary Fero.

Only 11,584 people cast ballots in the five days of early voting. That's 2.1% of registered voters. As a comparison, early voting for the March 4th primary was at 97,706 in Travis County. (Here's some video from my early voting location back then.)

Expect complete results between eight o'clock and eight thirty.

Categories: Elections |
Posted by Elise Hu at 3:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If you are able to peel yourself away from C-SPAN's live broadcast of the Petraeus testimony, don't forget to vote today. In Travis County the race to watch, of course, is the Democratic runoff for Travis County District Attorney. Since there is no Republican in the race, the winner tonight will be the next Travis County DA.

In Williamson County there's Bryan Daniel versus Dee Hobbs in the Republican runoff to fill outgoing State Rep. Mike Krusee's seat. The winner will face Democrat Diana Maldonado in the fall. Polls close at 7pm tonight.

Both DA candidates will be partying tonight as we await election returns. You can find Rosemary Lehmberg and her supporters at Joe's Bar and Grill near 6th and West. Just a few blocks northeast, Mindy Montford and her supporters will be partying at her campaign headquarters at 1304 Lavaca Street.

Categories: Elections |
Posted by Elise Hu at 10:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)