Election 2020

All information on this webpage is specific to the 2020 City of Austin General Municipal Election and the Campaign Finance Filing Requirements. Information will continually be updated as we approach the 2020 Election. Please contact Elections@austintexas.gov for any election related questions.

VIDEO - Running for Office in Austin, Texas: 2020 Candidate Requirements

2020 December Runoff Election Early Voting Locations

2020 December Runoff Election Day Voting Locations

2020 December Runoff Election Calendar

City of Austin Runoff Election Notice for December 15, 2020

E-Filing System

Beginning in July 2020, the City Clerk's Office will be launching a new electronic filing system for candidates and political action committees to file their campaign finance reports online. The City Clerk's Office will be hosting trainings regarding the new system in Summer of 2020. For more information, please view the City Clerk’s memo about the E-Filing System.

Campaign Finance Contact Form

In order to file electronically and obtain a E-Filing account and password, candidates and political action committees will need to submit the following two forms to the City Clerk’s Office:

• Appointment of a Campaign Treasurer by a Candidate (CTA)
• Campaign Finance Contact Form

The CTA form will still be required to be submitted in hard-copy to the City Clerk’s Office. The CTA form can be accessed by the following link. The  Campaign Finance Contact Form can be filled out and submitted online by the following link. 

General Information

General Municipal Election

General Municipal Elections are held on the November uniform election date authorized by state law in even-numbered years. The uniform November election date is the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. The November 2020 Election will be held on Tuesday, November 3, 2020. The following offices will be on the 2020 Ballot:

• District 2
• District 4
• District 6
• District 7
• District 10

Full list of Austin City Council Term Limits

Tax Rate and Bond Propositions

The City has also put forward for voter consideration Proposition A, a tax rate election related to the Project Connect high-capacity transit system, and Proposition B, a bond election related to transportation programs and projects. To learn more about Propositions A and B, visit AustinTexas.gov/MobilityElections2020.

November 3, 2020 and December Runoff

Election Calendar / Calendario de Eleccion - The election calendar has important election dates and filing deadlines for candidates. (*Dates are tentative and subject to change.)

Runoff Election Calendar / Calendario Electoral de Elección Secundaria

Frequently Asked Questions - Election FAQ / Preguntas Frecuentes 

Candidates Packet / Paquetes de Candidatos

Notice of Deadline to File Ballot Applications (Revised Aug. 3, 2020) / Aviso de Fecha Límite para Presentar Solicitudes de Boleta

Filed 2020 Ballot Applications / Solicitudes de Boleta 2020 Presentadas

2020 Notice of Drawing for Place on Ballot / Aviso de sorteo de 2020 para lugar en la boleta electoral

Order of Place on the Ballot for General Election / Orden de lugar en la boleta electoral para las elecciones generales

City of Austin General and Special Election Notice for November 3, 2020 / Aviso de elección general y especial de la ciudad de Austin para el 3 de noviembre de 2020

To request a paper copy of the 2020 Candidate Packet in English or Spanish to be mailed to you, please submit your name and mailing address to elections@austintexas.gov

Para solicitar que se le envíe por correo una copia del Paquete de candidatos 2020 en inglés o español, envíe su nombre y dirección postal a elections@austintexas.gov

Filing Period for a Place on the Ballot

Texas Election Code, Section 143.007(a) states that an application may not be filed earlier than the 30th day before the date of the filing deadline. Texas Election Code, Section 143.007(c) states that for an election to be held on a uniform election date, the day of the filing deadline is the 78th day before Election Day.

The election date is November 3, 2020; the 78th day before the election date is August 17, 2020. Therefore the first day for filing is the 30th day preceding, that being Saturday, July 18, 2020.** Regular business hours for the Office of the City Clerk are Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The filing location is the Office of the City Clerk located at 301 W. Second Street, Austin, Texas 78701; Fax number (512) 974-2374. 

The last day a candidate may file is Monday, August 17, 2020 at 5 p.m.

Campaign Treasurer Appointment Form

All Candidates are required to file a Campaign Treasurer Appointment Form (CTA) in order to:

• Solicit any campaign contributions
• Make any campaign expenditures
• File an application for place on the ballot

The Campaign Treasurer Appointment Form can be found at:

https://www.ethics.state.tx.us/data/forms/coh/cta.pdf

Campaign Finance

Beginning in July 2020, candidates will be required to submit their campaign finance reports using the City Clerk’s new E-Filing System. In order to file electronically and obtain a E-Filing account and password, candidates must fill out and submit the Campaign Finance Contact Form. You can submit the form online by following the link. 

The City Clerk’s Office will begin accepting Campaign Finance Contact Forms now and filers will receive access to the E-Filing System this summer. 

On October 5, 2017 Council revised Chapter 2-2 relating to campaign finance and election fundraising.

See Ordinance 20171005-029.

Click here for information and forms relating to Campaign Finance Reporting.

Austin Fair Campaign Finance Fund

The Fair Campaign Finance Fund provides partial public support for qualifying candidates in runoff elections. Funding is subject to availability, and is not provided to candidates in uncontested elections, recall elections, or elections to fill vacancies created by a recall election. Information about the Fair Campaign Finance Fund is found in Code, Article 7, Section 2-2-61 et seq.

Campaign Contribution Limit Amounts

Article III, Sections 8(A)(1) and 8(A)(3) of the City Charter require campaign finance limits to be modified annually with the adoption of the budget to increase or decrease in accordance with the most recently published U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Indicator, Consumer Price Index (CPI-W) U.S. City Average. Using the current CPI, the campaign contribution limit amount is $400. Under the current CPI, the aggregate contribution limit for contributions from sources other than natural persons eligible to vote in a zip code completely or partially within the Austin city limits is modified to $38,000 per regular election and $25,000 per runoff election.

Candidate Contract

Although not specifically tied to this date, please note the following: the deadline for filing the voluntary "campaign contract" delineated in City Code 2-2-11 is the earlier of (1) 30 days after an individual becomes a candidate under the Texas Election Code; or (2) the date the candidate files for a place on the ballot. To download a copy of the Candidate Contract click here: Candidate Contract Form.

Important Dates