Hays County May 2023 Uniform Election Guide

By Preethi Mangadu
News & Culture Director

The local spring elections for Texas began early voting Monday. Hays County has multiple races on the ballot including several for San Marcos CISD. 

Early voting started yesterday, April 24, and continues until May 2. Election day takes place on May 6. 

Here is everything you need to know for Hays County voting: 

What’s on the Ballot? 

Hays, San Marcos and Dripping Springs Consolidated Independent School Districts all have board and bond elections: 

Hays CISD

School board races: 

• District 1: Bill Ward, Raul Vela Jr.
• District 2: Johnny Flores, Esmeralda Pérez-González
• Trustee at Large: Vanessa Petrea ran unopposed and was declared the elected candidate.

The Hays CISD bond of $368 million is on the ballot, and will be split into four propositions. 

• Prop A: $208.8 million for expanding current schools, new school buses and building new school buildings.
• Prop B: $102.9 million for improving athletics, fine arts and career and technical education.
• Prop C: $4 million for technology upgrades.
• Prop D: $52.2 million for building new school buildings and creating outdoor multipurpose pavilions.

San Marcos CISD

School board races: 

• District 1: Philip Muzzy, Jessica Cain
• District 2: Margie T. Villalpando, Kevin Carswell
• District 3: Sandra Sepulveda Lopez ran unopposed and was declared the elected candidate.

The San Marcos CISD bond of almost $166 million is on the ballot, and will be split into four propositions, too. 

• Prop A: This will decide if the school board can use local tax revenues to buy attendance credit from the state. If passed, the district will undergo the recapture process, which is sending money back to the state to be shared with low property-wealth districts.
• Prop B: $147.7 million for expanding current schools, new school buses and building new school buildings. It would improve safety infrastructure and technology.
• Prop C: $985,000 for renovating San Marcos High School’s Rattler Stadium and replacing field turf.
• Prop D: $17.5 million for constructing a natatorium at San Marcos High School.

Dripping Springs ISD

For the Dripping Springs ISD Board of Trustees election, voters can choose up to two of the candidates: Rob McClelland, Ron Jones, Kim Cousins and Jeffrey Aylstock.

The Dripping Springs ISD bond of $223.7 million is one proposition. If passed, the bond will include building a new elementary school and a new special education facility, renovating and expanding an elementary school, one high school, two middle schools, buying new school buses, designing several schools and updating security and technology. 

North Hays Emergency Services

District 1 voters are being asked by North Hays EMS to help fund emergency services through increased property tax rate maximum from 3 cents per $100 to 10 cents. If passed, the new tax rate would be decided in November. The funding would be for buying more ambulances and additional stations to provide better emergency coverage. 

Austin

Hays County voters in Austin will be voting on Propositions A and B, which both deal with police oversight. Proposition A wants to give more power to the Office of Police Oversight and the citizen-led panel that review police misconduct, but Proposition B hopes to restrict the power of both.

To view the full sample ballot for Hays County for more details, go here. 

Registration

To check if you are registered, you can go here. The deadline to register for this election has passed. 

Where to Vote

In Hays County, you can vote at any of the available polling locations. For San Marcos, location include Broadway (Christus Trinity Clinic), Dunbar Center, Hays County Government Center, LBJ Student Center and San Marcos Housing Authority/C.M. Allen Homes. For a full list of locations and operation hours, go here.

What to Bring to the Polling Sites

To vote, you will need a valid ID. For those aged under 70, an acceptable ID can be up to four years expired. For voters aged 70 and over, the ID can be expired for any length of time. 

Here is a list of acceptable IDs: 

• Texas Driver License issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)
• Texas Election Identification Certificate issued by DPS
• Texas Personal Identification Card issued by DPS
• Texas Handgun License issued by DPS
• United States Military Identification Card containing the person’s photograph
• United States Citizenship Certificate containing the person’s photograph
• United States Passport (book or card)

If you don’t have an ID and cannot obtain one, you can bring one of these alternatives: 

• Government document showing your name and an address, such as your voter registration certificate
• Current utility bill
• Bank statement
• Government check
• Paycheck
• Birth certificate

You will have to sign and execute a “Reasonable Impediment Declaration” if bringing an alternative. 

Voting by Mail

As a registered voter in Texas, you can vote by mail if you will be away from your county on election day and early voting, are sick or disabled, are 65 or older, are in jail, but eligible to vote or are expecting to give birth within three weeks before or after election day. The deadline for voting by mail is today, April 25.