Before the runoff, the council has to make the Nov. 3 count official. It has until Nov. 17

Austin's runoff cannot be scheduled in detail until the City Council does one more piece of election business: the canvass. That is the formal vote accepting the final count of the Nov. 3 election. For this election it must happen no earlier than Friday, Nov. 6, and no later than Tuesday, Nov. 17, according to the Texas Secretary of State's canvass advisory for city and school elections.

The canvass usually takes only a few minutes. It matters because several deadlines start from it: ordering the runoff, recount requests, and the last chance for a runoff candidate to withdraw.

Why the window is so tight

The council cannot canvass until the county's early voting ballot board has finished its work. That means deciding which provisional ballots count, counting late mail ballots from overseas and military voters, and counting mail ballots whose envelope problems voters fixed. The board's deadline is Monday, Nov. 16, the advisory says. Overseas and military ballots can arrive until Nov. 9.

The council also has to post notice of the meeting at least three business days ahead. A 2025 state law changed that rule from 72 hours, and the Secretary of State notes it applies to canvass meetings too. Veterans Day, Nov. 11, is a state holiday and does not count as a business day.

What happens right after

• Ordering the runoff. A runoff "can be ordered as soon as the canvass is completed," according to the Secretary of State's runoff calendar, which recommends doing it immediately. The city must then post notice of the runoff by Nov. 27.
• Candidate withdrawals. A runoff candidate may not withdraw after 5 p.m. on the third day after the canvass.
• Recount requests. Austin council races are decided by majority vote. For majority races with more than two candidates, which describes Districts 1, 3, 5 and 9, the advisory sets an expedited deadline: 2 p.m. on the second day after the canvass, or 10 a.m. the next business day if that day falls on a weekend or holiday. If the council canvasses on Nov. 17, that deadline is 2 p.m. Nov. 19. District 8, which had only two candidates, and the propositions fall under the regular deadline of 5 p.m. on the third business day after the canvass.
• Ties. In a majority race, the runoff goes to the top two finishers on the official count. A tie for second place would set off an automatic recount, the advisory says. In District 1, the top two were separated by 73 votes but both were more than 10 points ahead of the third-place finisher, Community Impact reported. So a recount there would not change who is on the ballot.

What our records add

Last year's canvass took about two minutes. The council canvassed the November 2025 election at a special called meeting on Nov. 17, 2025. Mayor Kirk Watson opened it by noting that state law requires only two council members for a quorum to canvass. He then took up the resolution, and it passed with six members voting in favor.

This year's calendar points to a separate meeting. The council's next regular meeting after today is Nov. 19, two days after the canvass deadline. One item on today's agenda is already being moved to that date. We had not found a posted canvass meeting as of Thursday morning. If it follows last year's approach, expect a short special called meeting with notice posted at least three business days ahead.

The rule that made this a runoff year. The Aug. 6 ordinance that called the election requires council members to be elected by majority vote in their districts. Three of the five races fell short of that.

What's next

• Nov. 9: Last day for overseas and military ballots.
• Nov. 16: Ballot board finishes counting.
• By Nov. 17: Canvass. Watch the city's meeting notices for the date.
• Nov. 27: Deadline to post the runoff notice.
• Nov. 30 to Dec. 8: Early voting. How to vote in the runoff.