Austin 2026 voter guide for local elections
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Voters in Austin can put their stamp on a series of local races on the ballot.
Why it matters: The City Council determines the city budget, sets the city's property tax rate and oversees city operations.
The big picture: Affordability and housing supply are dominant themes.
- The election is the first in Austin following the failure of a 2025 property tax election.
District 1: Six candidates are competing for an open seat covering East and Northeast Austin, with candidates Amber Goodwin, Misael Ramos and Steven Brown leading in campaign contributions as they try to address displacement.
District 3: Incumbent José Velásquez faces four candidates critical of the council's decision to support the development of 2,600 acres in southeast Austin known as Dog's Head, anchored by Amazon's robotics division.
District 5: In a district that includes the Zilker neighborhood, incumbent Ryan Alter faces a challenge from David Weinberg, the former director of the Texas League of Conservation voters and two other candidates, in a race dominated by City Council spending, homelessness and safety.
District 8: In this southwest Austin district, Selena Xie, an EMS commander and labor leader, faces Jeffery Bowen, who has led the Austin Neighborhoods Council, to replace Paige Ellis, who failed in her petition efforts to get on the ballot for a third term.
District 9: Incumbent Zohaib "Zo" Qadri faces challenger Rich Heyman, a former University of Texas urban studies professor, and Katie Kam, a former project manager for the city, in this central Austin district that has become a referendum on dense development in the city's older neighborhoods.
💰 Follow the money: Austin voters will also decide on two bond propositions — worth a total of $295 million — to support parks and libraries, at a cost of about $50 per year for an average homeowner.
- A third ballot measure, Proposition I, calls for an outside audit of city finances, in addition to independent auditors hired by the city audit department. Progressive groups oppose the proposition, which they say would lead to funding cuts; the political action committee Save Austin Now, which argues for fiscal constraints, supports it.
Zoom out: Austin Community College and Austin school board places are also up for grabs.