AUSTIN - Texas voters will head to the polls on Tuesday to cast their ballots in the primary runoff elections. The final vote follows a week of early voting that ended on Friday.
The runoffs are required in races where no single candidate secured more than 50 percent of the vote during the initial March 3 primaries. Tuesday's voting will determine the final nominees for both the Republican and Democratic parties ahead of the November general election.
A marquee matchup on the Republican ballot features incumbent U.S. Senator John Cornyn facing a challenge from Trump-backed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. The winner will face Democrat James Talarico in November. For attorney general, Republican Mayes Middleton faces Chip Roy; the victor will take on either Democrat Nathan Johnson or Joe Jaworski. Other Republican matchups include Bo French versus Jim Wright for railroad commissioner, and Alison Fox against Thomas Smith for Court of Criminal Appeals Place 3.
Democratic voters are also settling key primary runoffs. Yolanda Prince and Dax Alexander are competing for the chance to challenge Republican U.S. Rep. Nathaniel Moran, while Marcos Velez and Vikki Goodwin face off to determine who will challenge Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick in the fall.
Texas operates an open primary system, meaning voters do not register by political party. Any registered voter can participate in the runoff. However, voters who cast a ballot in the March primary can only vote in that same party's runoff. Those who did not vote in March are free to choose either the Republican or Democratic ballot.
Polls across the state will be open on Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voters must present one of seven acceptable forms of photo identification to cast a ballot in person, such as a Texas driver's license, a U.S. passport, or a Texas handgun license.
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