Tuesday, April 23, 2024

Local elections now allowed to be postponed

Gov. Greg Abbott is briefed on the coronavirus outbreak, in Austin on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2020. (Photo: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune)

On Wednesday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a proclamation that allows municipalities to postpone their upcoming May 2 elections until the November General Election.

Individual entities will still have to act to postpone their elections because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Abbott urged them to do so.

“I strongly encourage local election officials to take advantage of these waivers and postpone their elections until November,” Abbott said in a statement. “Right now, the state’s focus is responding to COVID-19 — including social distancing and avoiding large gatherings. By delaying this election, our local election officials can assist in that effort.”

Local towns and school boards, including the town of Flower Mound and Argyle ISD, are currently scheduled to hold elections to fill expiring council and trustee seats in May. Some of them also have special elections scheduled for May, including Northwest ISD’s $987 million bond election.

Abbott’s statement did not address the May 26 primary runoff election.

Mark Smith
Mark Smith
Mark Smith is the Digital Editor of The Cross Timbers Gazette.

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