Election day for the November 3 general election is underway in Hays County, Texas. Eligible voters can cast ballots at designated polling locations from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The county’s Elections Department reports that 85,183 residents voted early, representing nearly 42 % of the 204,061 registered voters.
Polling locations and wait times
Hays County maintains dozens of polling sites across San Marcos, Buda, Kyle and surrounding areas. Voters can view the full list of locations on the county’s official website and check real‑time wait times for each site via the provided link.
Identification requirements
Texas law mandates that each voter present one of seven acceptable forms of identification at the polls. The options are:
- Texas driver’s license (issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety)
- Texas personal ID card (issued by DPS)
- Texas handgun license (issued by DPS)
- Texas election ID certificate (issued by DPS)
- U.S. military ID card with the voter’s photograph
- U.S. citizenship certificate with the voter’s photograph
- U.S. passport
Voters who do not have one of these documents should consider obtaining a Texas election ID certificate, which can be issued by the Department of Public Safety.
Registration deadline
State law requires voters to register before an election. The deadline for the 2026 midterm elections was October 5. Current registration data are available online, and unregistered residents can sign up for future elections through the county’s registration portal.
Ballot overview
The November ballot includes a mix of federal, state, county and city races. Residents of Hays County, San Marcos, Buda and Kyle will see contests for the following positions:
- Hays County Judge: Michelle Gutierrez Cohen (Democrat), Geoffrey Tahuahua (Republican), Liz “Sumter” Gajdos (Independent)
- Hays County Commissioners Court – Precinct 2: Johnny Flores (Democrat), Abby Gibson (Republican)
- Hays County Commissioners Court – Precinct 4: (candidates listed on the county website)
- San Marcos Mayor: Amanda Rodriguez, Ryan Thomason
- San Marcos City Council – Place 3: Jane Hughson, Alyssa Garza (incumbent)
- San Marcos City Council – Place 4: Shane Scott (incumbent), Heather Hunter
- San Marcos City Council – Place 6: Lisa Prewitt, Bill Miller, Juan Miguel Arredondo
- Kyle Mayor: Irving Davis, Jessica Clayton
A complete sample ballot and detailed race information are available on the Hays County website. Voters are encouraged to review the sample ballot ahead of time to ensure they are prepared for the choices on Election Day.
How to stay informed
Community Impact has provided Q&A sessions with local candidates and additional coverage of the races. Residents can follow those links for deeper insight into each candidate’s platform and background.
With polling places open and early‑voting numbers already strong, Hays County voters have ample opportunity to make their voices heard in this pivotal election.
Original reporting: Community Impact — Austin — read the source article.
