It’s Election Day in Hays County, and The University Star has gathered all the information you need about Hays County polling locations, who will appear on the ballots, COVID-19 safety precautions and mail-in ballots.

Election Day Locations

San Marcos

• Calvary Baptist Church, 1906 N. Interstate 35 Frontage Rd.

• Centro Cultural Hispano, 211 Lee St.

• Dunbar Center, 801 Martin Luther King Dr.

• First Baptist Church San Marcos, 325 W. McCarty Ln.

• Hays County Government Center, 712 S. Stagecoach Trail, Northwest Conference Rooms

• Hays County Transportation — Yarrington Building, 2171 Yarrington Rd.

• Live Oak Health Partners, 401 Broadway St. #C

• Promiseland Church, 1650 Lime Kiln Rd.

• San Marcos Activity Center, 501 E. Hopkins St.

• San Marcos Fire Station #5, 100 Carlson Cir.

• San Marcos Housing Authority/CM Allen Homes, 820 Sturgeon Dr.

• Sinai Pentecostal Church, 208 Laredo St.

• South Hays Fire Station #12, 8301 Ranch Rd. 12.

• Stone brook Seniors Community, 300 S. Stagecoach Trail.

• Texas State Performing Arts Center, 405 Moon St.

Buda

• Buda City Hall, 405 E. Loop St., Building 100

• Buda Elementary Upper Campus, 300 San Marcos St.

• Hays Hills Baptist Church, 1401 N. FM 1626

• McCormick Middle School, 5700 Dacy Ln.

• Southern Hills Church of Christ, 3740 FM 967

Kyle and Uhland

• Chapa Middle School, 3311 Dacy Ln.

• HCISD Admin — Arnold Transportation Building, 21003 Interstate 35 Frontage Rd.

• Hays County Precinct 2 Office, 5458 FM 2770

• Kyle City Hall, 100 W Center St.

• Live Oak Academy High School, 4820 Jack C. Hays Trail

• Tobias Elementary School, 1005 FM 150

• Uhland Elementary School, 2331 High Rd. (Uhland)

• Wallace Middle School, 1500 W. Center St.

Dripping Springs and Austin

• Belterra Centre, 151 [688] Trinity Hills Dr. (Austin)

• Dripping Springs Ranch Park, 1042 Event Center Dr. (Dripping Springs)

• Hays County Precinct 4 Office, 195 Roger Hanks Pky. (Dripping Springs)

• North Hays County Fire/Rescue Station #2 — Driftwood Battalion, 15850 FM 1826 (Austin)

Wimberley

• Cypress Creek Church, 211 Stillwater

• Scudder Primary School, 400 Green Acres Dr.

• VFW Post #6441, 401 Jacobs Well Rd.

• Wimberley Community Center, 14068 Ranch Rd. 12

City of San Marcos General Election

Incumbents are italicized.

City of San Marcos, Mayor:

Michael Sean Hathaway II

Randy Dethrow

Jane Garnette Hughson

J.M. Harris

Juan Miguel Arredondo

City of San Marcos, City Council, Place 3:

Alyssa C. Garza

Ed Mihalkanin

City of San Marcos, City Council, Place 4:

Shane Scott

Mark Rockeymoore

City of San Marcos, City Council, Place 5, Unexpired Term:

NOTE: This is a special election to fill a vacancy in City Council Place 5.

Omar Baca

Zach Sambrano

Mark Gleason

San Marcos Consolidated Independent School District, Trustee Election

The San Marcos Consolidated Independent School District single-member district map can be viewed on the official website. Incumbents are italicized.

SMCISD, District 1:

James Bryant, Jr.

Juan Miguel Arredondo

SMCISD, District 3:

Mayra Mejia

Nicholas Costilla
 

Hays County Races

Incumbents are italicized.

Sheriff:

Gary Cutler, Republican

Alex Villalobos, Democrat

Commissioner Precinct 3:

Lon A. Shell, Republican

Lisa Prewitt, Democrat

Constable Precinct 1:

Eliseo Galarza, Republican

David L. Peterson, Democrat

Commissioner Precinct 1:

Debbie Gonzales Ingalsbe, Democrat

Judge, 453rd Judicial District:

David Junkin, Republican

Sherri Tibbe, Democrat

Judge, County Court-at-Law No. 3:

Tacie Zelhart, Republican

Millie Thompson, Democrat

Tax Assessor-Collector:

Jenifer O’Kane, Republican

Daphne Tenorio, Democrat

Judge, 22nd Judicial District:

R. Bruce Boyer, Republican

Justice of the Peace Precinct 1, Place 1:

Joanne Prado, Democrat

State of Texas General Election

Incumbents are italicized.

State Representative, District 45:

Carrie Isaac, Republican

Erin Zwiener, Democrat

Railroad Commissioner:

James “Jim” Wright, Republican

Chrysta Castañeda, Democrat

Matt Sterett, Libertarian

Katija “Kat” Gruene, Green

Chief Justice, Supreme Court of Texas:

Nathan Hecht, Republican

Amy Clark Meachum, Democrat

Mark Ash, Libertarian

Justice, Supreme Court of Texas, Place 6, Unexpired Term:

Jane Bland, Republican

Kathy Cheng, Democrat

Justice, Supreme Court of Texas, Place 7:

Jeff Boyd, Republican

Staci Williams, Democrat

William Bryan Strange, III, Libertarian

Justice, Supreme Court of Texas, Place 8:

Brett Busby, Republican

Gisela D. Triana, Democrat

Tom Oxford, Libertarian

Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 3:

Bert Richardson, Republican

Elizabeth Davis Frizell, Democrat

Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 4:

Kevin Patrick Yeary, Republican

Tina Clinton, Democrat

Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 9:

David Newell, Republican

Brandon Birmingham, Democrat

Member, State Board of Education, District 5:

Lani Popp, Republican

Rebecca Bell-Metereau, Democrat

Stephanie Berlin, Libertarian

State Senator, District 21:

Frank Pomeroy, Republican

Judith Zaffirini, Democrat

Chief Justice, 3rd Court of Appeals District:

Jeff Rose, Republican

Darlene Byrne, Democrat

Federal races

Incumbents are italicized.

U.S. President / Vice President:

Donald J. Trump/Michael R. Pence, Republican

Joseph R. Biden/Kamala D. Harris, Democrat

Jo Jorgensen/Jeremy “Spike” Cohen, Libertarian

Howie Hawkins/Angela Walker, Green

U.S. Senator:

John Cornyn, Republican

Mary “MJ” Hegar, Democrat

Kerry Douglas McKennon, Libertarian

David B. Collins, Green

U.S. Representative, District 35:

Jenny Garcia Sharon, Republican

Lloyd Doggett, Democrat

Mark Loewe, Libertarian

Jason Mata Sr., Independent

COVID-19 safety at the polls

Hays County Elections Administrator and Voter Registrar Jennifer Anderson requested voters wear a mask in and around polling stations. Voters are encouraged to stand 6 feet apart when in line and to bring their own pen or unsharpened pencil to fill out ballots.

In stations with electronic voting, voters will be asked to wear a glove while giving their electronic signature before voting. Poll workers will wear masks and stand behind plexiglass, according to a video released by the Hays County Government YouTube channel in July.

Styluses will be provided for electronic voting, with cotton swabs offered as an alternative. Gloves and masks will be provided for voters without any, and hand sanitizing stations will be available. Poll workers will have sanitizing spray to further aid in disinfecting.

Curbside voting is available for those physically unable to enter the voting place. An election officer can bring the e-Slate electronic voting device to you at the entrance of the place or to a vehicle. The election officer will take the e-Slate and connect it to the Judge’s Booth Controller.

Curbside will also be available to those fearing they may have contracted COVID-19 or are displaying symptoms. Voters are advised to call ahead should they fall into this category and still wish to vote, at (512) 393-7310.

Hays County is no longer accepting volunteers or applications to work at polling stations for early voting or the general election as of Oct. 1.

The following local, county, state and federal elections will be featured on ballots in San Marcos. For a full view of the sample master ballot listing all races in Hays County, visit the Hays County official election webpage. 

 Important Dates

-        Early voting starts Oct. 13

-        Last day to request a mail-in ballot Oct. 23 (USPS recommends by Oct. 19); returned by Nov. 3

-        Early voting ends Oct. 30

-        Election day Nov. 3

-        Emergency mail-in ballot: On or after third day before election, returned by 7 p.m. Election Day

Registration

Voters must print, sign and mail a voter registration application to the Hays County Voter Registrar at least 30 days prior to Election Day (Oct. 5). The application is available on Hays County’s website for residents to print. Residents can also request an application by mail. Those who are unsure whether they are registered to vote, can check on the Texas Secretary of State’s website.

To qualify to vote in Hays County, residents must:

-        Be a U.S. citizen

-        Be a resident of Hays County

-        Be 18 years old

-        Not be a convicted felon

-        Not be determined by a final judgement of a court exercising probate jurisdiction to be totally mentally incapacitated or partially mentally incapacitated without the right to vote

Mail-in Ballots

Registered voters can request and receive a mail-in ballot if the following conditions prevents them from voting in person.

-        65 years of age or older

-        Disability 

-        Resident expects to be absent from the county during both the early voting period and on Election Day (Ballot must be mailed to address outside the county).

-        Resident is in jail and has not be finally convicted of a felony

The application to request a mail-in ballot is available on Hays County’s website. Once completed, residents can submit their application in person to the early voting clerk before the early voting period begins (Oct. 13).

After the early voting period begins, residents can only mail their application. The last day to apply for a mail-in ballot is Oct. 23. Completed ballots must be returned to the early voting clerk by Nov. 3.

Ballots postmarked by 7 p.m. on Election Day will be counted if received by the county by 5 p.m. on Nov. 4. The U.S Postal Service recommends Texas residents apply to receive a mail-in ballot no later than 15 days prior to the election and drop completed ballots in the mail a week before the deadline.

Lack of immunity to COVID-19 alone does not qualify a voter to request a mail-in ballot; however, if a voter believes their lack of immunity combined with their medical history prevents them from voting in person, they can be eligible to receive a mail-in ballot. It is up to the voter to decide whether they meet the state’s eligibility criteria. Election officials do not have the authority to question the voter’s reasoning.