Austin's Canvass Is Set for November 17 at 11 A.M.: The Runoff Calendar Through the January Swearing-In
The Austin City Council plans to make the November 3 results official on the last day the law allows, and to order the December 12 runoffs the same morning. Here is every deadline between now and the January 6 swearing-in.
Austin's November 3 election becomes official on Tuesday, November 17. The City Clerk's runoff election calendar lists the canvass — the council vote that certifies the results — for 11 a.m. that day in the council chambers at City Hall, with the order calling the December 12 runoffs set for the same morning. November 17 is the 14th day after the election and the last day the council can canvass, and the calendar notes the vote could come earlier once final returns arrive from Travis, Williamson and Hays counties, the three counties Austin stretches into. As of Tuesday morning, no canvass meeting had yet been posted on the city's Legistar calendar.
The count itself is nearly closed. The last late ballots — overseas and military ballots, and mail ballots fixed in person — had to arrive by Monday, November 9, and the early voting ballot board has until November 16 to decide which provisional ballots count and finish the count. The unofficial figures have held since November 4: Selena Xie won District 8 and Zohaib "Zo" Qadri kept District 9, while Districts 1, 3 and 5 head to runoffs. In District 1, Amber Goodwin and Misael Ramos were 73 votes apart in that count, well clear of the third-place finisher, so both advance regardless of the final totals.
The calendar from here runs on fixed dates. Thursday, November 12 is the last day to register to vote in the runoff. A recount in Districts 1, 3, 5 or 9 can be requested until 2 p.m. on Thursday, November 19, and a runoff candidate can withdraw until 5 p.m. on Friday, November 20. Early voting runs November 30 to December 8, mail-ballot applications must be received by December 1, and runoff Election Day is Saturday, December 12. The runoff canvass is set for December 23 at 10 a.m., and the new council members are sworn in on Wednesday, January 6, 2027, at 6 p.m. — Xie replacing Paige Ellis in District 8, Qadri beginning a second term, and the District 1, 3 and 5 winners deciding who holds those seats, including whether incumbents José Velásquez and Ryan Alter return.
