DALLAS - As the dust settles on the Texas primaries, several races have no clear winner.
Those races will head to a May 26 runoff election.
What triggers a runoff election in Texas?
Runoff criteria in Texas
Texas is one of a handful of states that require a candidate to get a majority of the votes in a primary to advance to the general election. This means a candidate must get 50% plus one vote to win an election. The top two vote-getters in each primary advance to a runoff.
Other states require a candidate to receive a plurality of votes, meaning the most votes. The Texas majority law means that crowded races often lead to runoffs, even in the primary stage.
Texas’ primaries are open, meaning people can vote in any primary they want, regardless of party. However, voters are only allowed to cast a ballot in one primary and that primary choice determines in which runoff a voter can participate.
When are the Texas primary runoff elections?
Runoff elections for the March Texas primaries will be held on May 26.
Early voting begins on May 18 and runs through May 22.
Which runoffs am I allowed to vote in?
Which runoff elections you're allowed to vote in depends on if you voted in the primary election or not.
If you voted in a primary, you can only vote in runoff elections for the party you aligned with during the primary.
So, if you voted in the Republican primary, you can only vote in Republican runoff elections. The same is true for a voter in the Democratic primary; they can only vote in Democratic runoff elections.
Did I need to vote in the primary in order to vote in the runoff election?
No. If you did not vote in a primary election, you can still vote in a runoff election.
What if I didn't register to vote before the primary elections?
If you were not registered to vote in the primary elections, you can still register to vote ahead of the May runoff elections.
The deadline to register to vote before the runoff elections is April 27.
Am I registered to vote?
The easiest way to check your 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.
The Source: Information in this article comes from the Texas Secretary of State's office.