Austin, TX
LIVE election results: Runoff races include Austin City Council District 7, Manor mayor
AUSTIN, Texas – There are still some races in Central Texas that have not been officially called after Election Day in November and voters will head to the polls one last time this year to settle them.
Races, including ones for Austin City Council District 7 and Manor mayor, ended with no candidate getting a majority of the vote so the top two candidates with the most votes face off in a runoff.
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
What are people voting for in runoffs?
Voters in District 7 will decide who will represent them on the Austin City Council in a runoff election and choose between Mike Siegel and Gary Bledsoe,
Austin ISD voters will decide who will get an at-large seat on the school board between Lindsey Stringer and Fernando Lucas de Urioste.
In Manor, either Christopher Harvey or Tricia Campbell will become the next mayor.
San Marcos City Council Place 5 is a race between Roland Saucedo and Lorenzo Gonzalez.
In Kyle, Marc McKinney and Melisa Median are the choices for Kyle City Council District 5.
What you need to know to vote
Check to see if you’re registered to vote. The easiest way to check voter registration status is to head to the Secretary of State’s website.
The Am I Registered portal on the website lets you submit your identifying information, like a Texas Driver’s License number or details about your birth.
You will find out instantly if you’re registered to vote. The portal will also give you your poll location and early voting locations.
For polling locations you can visit the following sites:
What do I need to bring with me when I vote?
Voters will be asked to present one of seven acceptable forms of photo identification, unless they are a voter with a permanent exemption on their voter registration certificate.
Here is a list of the acceptable forms of photo ID:
- Texas Driver’s License issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)
- Texas Election Identification Certificate issued by DPS
- Texas Personal Identification Card issued by DPS
- Texas Handgun License issued by DPS
- United States Military Identification Card containing the person’s photograph
- United States Citizenship Certificate containing the person’s photograph
- United States Passport (book or card)
Here is a list of the supporting forms of ID that can be presented if the voter does not possess an acceptable form of photo identification, and cannot reasonably obtain one:
- Copy of or original of a government document that shows the voter’s name and an address, including the voter’s voter registration certificate
- Copy of or original current utility bill
- Copy of or original bank statement
- Copy of or original government check
- Copy of or original paycheck
- Copy of or original of (a) a certified domestic (from a U.S. state or territory) birth certificate or (b) a document confirming birth admissible in a court of law which establishes the voter’s identity (which may include a foreign birth document)
Can you vote with an expired ID?
If you have a form of acceptable photo ID and are between the ages of 18 and 69, your ID must be current or expired for no more than 4 years to qualify to vote.
For voters 70 and older, your photo ID can be expired for any length of time if the identification is otherwise okay.
The Source: Information from previous reporting and Travis County and Hays County election websites.
Austin, TX
Judge Albright, who oversaw patent litigation boom in Texas, to resign
Austin, TX
Appeals court rules Texas can require public schools to display Ten Commandments in class
DALLAS (AP) — Texas can require the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public school classrooms, a U.S. appeals court ruled Tuesday in a victory for conservatives who have long sought to incorporate more religion into schools.
WATCH: Texas school board approves new course material that includes Bible passages
It sets up a potential clash at the U.S. Supreme Court over the issue in the future.
The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals said in the decision that the law did not violate the First Amendment, which protects religious freedom and prevents the government from establishing a religion.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, called the ruling “a major victory for Texas and our moral values.”
“The Ten Commandments have had a profound impact on our nation, and it’s important that students learn from them every single day,” Paxton said.
Organizations representing the families who challenged the law, including the American Civil Liberties Union, said in a statement that they were “extremely disappointed” by the decision.
“The court’s ruling goes against fundamental First Amendment principles and binding U.S. Supreme Court authority. The First Amendment safeguards the separation of church and state, and the freedom of families to choose how, when and if to provide their children with religious instruction. This decision tramples those rights,” the statement said.
The law is among the pushes by Republicans, including President Donald Trump, to incorporate religion into public schools. Critics say it violates the separation of church and state while backers argue that the Ten Commandments are historical and part of the foundation of U.S. law.
The ruling, which reverses a district court’s judgment, comes after the full court heard arguments in January in the Texas case and a similar case in Louisiana. The appeals court in February cleared the way for Louisiana’s law, requiring displays of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms. The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals voted 12-6 to lift a block that a lower court first placed on the law in 2024.
Texas law took effect on Sept. 1, marking the largest attempt in the nation to hang the Ten Commandments in public schools. About two dozen school districts had been barred from posting them after federal judges issued injunctions in two cases against the law but went up in many classrooms across the state as districts paid to have the posters printed themselves or accepted donations.
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Austin, TX
Texas DMV launches authorization system for automated commercial vehicles
Waymo self-driving car navigating city traffic, San Francisco, California, August 20, 2024. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)
AUSTIN, Texas – The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles is launching a new authorization system for companies looking to operate automated motor vehicles.
A new goes into effect next month that requires companies using automated vehicles to be authorized by TxDMV with the following requirements:
- Complies with all applicable Texas traffic and motor vehicle laws
- Is equipped with a recording device
- Uses an automated driving system that complies with federal law
- Can achieve minimal risk condition in the event of a system failure
- Has a proper title and registration
- Maintains motor vehicle insurance
The process allows companies to submit their applications online through the Texas Motor Carrier Credentialing System.
The new laws outlined in Senate Bill 2807 go into effect on May 28.
Automated vehicles in Texas
The backstory:
Autonomous driving services are already operating in major Texas cities. Dallas, Houston, Austin and San Antonio are all serviced by the driverless ride-share company Waymo.
In Austin, the service has received dozens of complaints about vehicles stalling, speeding and crashing.
There have also been complaints of vehicles illegally passing school buses.
In March, Swedish company Einride announced plans to bring autonomous freight trucks to Central Texas.
The Source: Information in this article comes from the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles and previous FOX Local reporting.
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