BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) – Polls opened at 7 a.m. Tuesday for the 2026 primary runoff election in Texas, with voters having until 7 p.m. to cast their ballots.
The runoff narrows the field for November’s general election. Winners of Tuesday’s races will move on to the November general election.
Republican voters will see six races on their ballot. The biggest is the U.S. Senate seat, where incumbent John Cornyn faces challenger Ken Paxton. Also on the Republican side are races for attorney general, railroad commissioner and a Court of Criminal Appeals seat.
Voters who participated in the March primary must stick with the same party. They cannot switch parties for the runoff.(kbtx)
Democratic voters will see two races: lieutenant governor and attorney general.
“We do have several runoff races, a couple local races, commissioner two and district clerk, and then we have several state races, one federal race,” Trudy Hancock, Brazos County elections administrator, said. “So all of those, the winner of that will then move on to be on the ballot in November.”
Where to vote
Eight polling locations are open across Brazos County: the Brazos County Elections Office in Bryan, First Baptist Church in Bryan, College Station Utilities, College Station City Hall, Arena Hall, the Brazos Center, Wellborn Baptist Church and Church of the Nazarene.
Brazos County has about 139,000 registered voters. Hancock said she expects a large turnout on Tuesday.
Early voting brought in 8,593 in-person ballots, plus 650 by mail. For context, fewer than 6,000 people voted in the entire 2024 runoff.
There are eight polling locations across Brazos County.(kbtx)
Hancock said she hopes to reach 25,000 total voters by Tuesday night.
College Station Utilities and the Brazos Center tend to be the busiest polling locations. Curbside voting is available at all eight locations for voters with mobility or disability issues.
“There is a marked spot at each of the locations for curbside, and that just allows that voter to stay in the car and be able to cast their ballot,” Hancock said. “We go out to them and take everything that they need.”
What to bring
Voters need a driver’s license or government-issued photo ID. Acceptable forms of identification include a Texas license to carry a handgun issued by DPS, a military ID or a U.S. passport.
Voters without those forms of ID can still vote by filling out a form at the polls. However, they would need to bring at least one of the following documents: a valid voter registration certificate, original birth certificate, copy or original utility bill, copy or original bank statement or an original paycheck.
Voters should not bring cell phones into the polling room.
Party affiliation rules
Voters who skipped the primary can still vote in the runoff and can choose which party ballot to receive.
Voters who participated in the March primary must stick with the same party. They cannot switch parties for the runoff.
In November’s general election, voters can choose any candidate, regardless of party.
Copyright 2026 KBTX. All rights reserved.