Here's what you need to know about the 2018 primary runoff election in Texas
Texans will head back to the polls in May to finally resolve some primary races left up in the air.
Among them: the battle for the 6th Congressional District for both Republicans and Democrats, the GOP battle for Tarrant County tax assessor-collector and the Democratic battle to determine which candidate will square off against Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in November.
These are among the local races that will be on the primary runoff ballot May 22.
Here's a look at some of what you need to know before you head to the polls.
Why is there a runoff election? In a primary election, any race where one candidate didn't receive 50 percent plus one heads to a runoff. The two candidates who received the most votes in that race will face off in the runoff election. Note: There are no runoffs in a general election, which means the candidate with the most votes in November will win any given race.
When is the runoff election? May 22
Is there early voting? Yes, from May 14-18.
Which races will be on the Republican primary runoff ballot in Tarrant County? 6th Congressional District, Ron Wright, J.K. "Jake" Ellzey; 342nd District Judge, Pat Gallagher, Kimberly Fitzpatrick; Probate Court No. 1: Patricia Cole, Chris Ponder; County tax assessor-collector, Mike Snyder, Wendy Burgess; Justice of the Peace Precinct 4, Christopher "Chris" Gregory, Jacquelyn Wright; and Justice of the Peace Precinct 6, Jason Charbonnet, Chris Garcia.
Which races will be on the Democratic primary runoff ballot in Tarrant County? 6th Congressional District, Jana Lynne Sanchez, Ruby Faye Woolridge; 25th Congressional District, Chris Perri, Julie Oliver; Governor, Andrew White, Lupe Valdez; and Justice of the Peace Precinct 7, Frieda Porter, Kenneth D. Sanders.
Do many people vote in primary runoff elections? Not really. In the most recent one, in May 2014, 5.5 percent of voters cast ballots in the Republican runoff and 1.5 percent in the Democratic runoff, state election data shows.
"Turnout drops in runoffs for two principal reasons," said Mark P. Jones, a political science professor at Rice University in Houston. "First, the smaller number of races on the ballot results in there being fewer reasons for voters to participate.
"Second, the precipitous drop in the number of candidates campaigning in the runoff elections means there are fewer get-out-the-vote and mobilization efforts taking place as well as fewer TV, radio, digital and print ads working to push people to participate."
Who can vote? If you voted in either primary, you are eligible to vote in that party's runoff. Registered voters who didn't vote in the primary can vote in either party's runoff.
What should I bring to the polls? Bring your voter registration card and a photo ID. The seven state-approved photo IDs: Texas driver’s license, Texas Election Identification Certificate, Texas personal identification card, Texas license to carry a concealed handgun, U.S. military ID card with photo, U.S. citizenship certificate with photo and U.S. passport. Anyone who doesn’t have one of those IDs, and can’t get one before voting, may show another form of identification and fill out a "reasonable impediment declaration."
How do I get more information about the elections? Local voters may call the Tarrant County Elections Office at 817-831-8683. Voters statewide may call the Secretary of State’s Office at 1-800-252-VOTE.
Key election dates:
April 23-May 1 Early voting for the May 5 city and school board election
May 5 Election day
May 14-18 Early voting for primary runoff
May 22 Primary runoff election
June 14-16 Republican Party state convention in San Antonio
June 21-23 Texas Democratic Party state convention in Fort Worth
This story was originally published March 22, 2018 at 10:12 AM with the headline "Here's what you need to know about the 2018 primary runoff election in Texas."