Toppers Vote

Ornate door

St. Edward’s values civic engagement and encourages all Hilltoppers to participate in the political process by voting when eligible. To ensure you are prepared to vote in any election, we've provided information on eligibility, registration, casting a ballot, supportive resources, and on-campus events.

Resources and Information

If no candidate receives 50% of the vote in the November 2024 elections, the race will go to a run-off election on Saturday, December 13. The closest polling site for early and election-day voting for Travis County voters is the South Austin Rec Center at 1100 Cumberland Road. Early Voting runs Monday, December 2 - Tuesday December 10. View hours and wait times here. To view races on your runoff election ballot, visit vote411.org.

 

You may vote in elections in Texas if you meet all of the following criteria:

  • You are a U.S. Citizen
  • You are a resident of the Texas county where you submitted your application
  • You will be 18 years old or older before election day
  • You are not a convicted felon

More information is available at VoteTexas.gov.

Voter registration is tied to your home address. In Texas, the county where you are registered is where you can vote. Students may register using their university or hometown address. Individuals who register with a university address likely can vote in person, on campus. Vote.gov provides more guidance to college students on choosing where to register. 

How do I register to vote in Texas? 

  • Check your Texas voter registration. If the information is not correct or you aren’t registered, 
  • Register to vote by completing, printing, signing, and mailing in the form. Applications must be postmarked or delivered to your county voter registrar's office by the registration deadline, usually one month before election day. You may also have a paper application sent to you.  

How do I register to vote in another state/ territory? 

  • Vote.gov provides information on registering to vote and voting by mail/ absentee voting in all U.S. states and territories.

How do I get on-campus assistance to register to vote? 
Kozmetsky Center student interns are Travis County volunteer deputy registrars (VDRs). Throughout the school year, they will frequently table between the Book Store and the Carriage House– look for the yellow tablecloth. The student volunteer can help you register to vote.

The university partners with the League of Women Voters (LWV), a nonpartisan non-profit, to periodically invite VDRs to campus to register our community members to vote. Additional student organizations may also offer voter registration on campus. 

What if I do not live in the Texas county where I am registered? 
If you are not physically in the Texas county where you are registered during the voting period, here are a few options:

  • Update your voter registration with your new address.
  • Request an Application for Ballot by Mail by the deadline if you will be out of the county on election day and during the period for early voting.
  • Travel to the county where you are registered to vote in person during early voting or on election day.

Before the election, ensure you are prepared to cast your ballot.

Confirm voter registration
Check your Texas voter registration. To vote, you must cast your ballot in person in the county where you are registered.  

Learn about voting, candidates and issues
To inform your vote, download the nonpartisan Voters Guide from the League of Women Voters Austin Area. You can review your personalized ballot and receive self-reported information from candidates and explanations of issues, at vote411.org. Both of these voter resources may not be active until closer to election day. 

Depending on where you live and the election, your ballot may have 20+ races to vote on including candidates and propositions. In Texas, statewide propositions are assigned numbers and local propositions are assigned letters. Many news outlets like the Texas Tribune and Austin American Statesman provide candidate and issue information and/or endorsements that may inform your vote.

Ensure you have an ID
Bring an acceptable form of voter ID with you to the poll.

Using Polling Machines
Travis County uses a two-step voting process that includes a touch screen and printed ballot. More information on the machine and process is available from the Travis County Election Division. 

Not allowed at the polls
Phones or any other wireless communication devices that can record sound or images are not allowed in the polling booth. It may be helpful to print off or write down your voting selections.

Electioneering is prohibited inside polling sites and within 100 feet of the entrance. This includes expressing preference for or against any candidate, measure, or political party. Clothing, stickers and other printed materials are considered electioneering. More information on what is allowed in a polling place can be found here.

Early Voting in Texas typically begins two weeks before election day.  Most polls are open Monday–Saturday, 7 a.m.–7 p.m. and Sunday, 12–6 p.m.

For most elections, the nearest early voting site to campus is the South Austin Rec Center, 1.5 miles from Ragsdale at 1100 Cumberland Road. 

To support access to voting for our students, St. Edward's partners with Travis County to host a polling place for November elections annually and March Primaries in even-numbered years.  In some years, we host May local elections. 

If you are registered to vote in Travis County, you may cast your ballot on campus at the UFCU Alumni Gym on election day from 7 a.m.–7 p.m. To avoid long lines, check wait times on the map linked below and go when it is less crowded, likely before noon. If you are in line by 7 p.m. you can vote.

Voters registered in Travis, Willamson and Hays Counties may vote in any polling location in that county. For polling locations in other counties, visit votetexas.gov. Some of the links below may not activate until closer to the election.

Travis County

Williamson County

Hays County

Below are university policies that may be helpful to reference ahead of elections:

Call the Texas Secretary of State’s Office at 1-800-252-VOTE or visit their website www.votetexas.gov. You may also reference the college student page at Vote.Gov.