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Without new leadership that makes public education a real priority, we cannot build the future we want to see: one with public schools funded and supported to thrive.

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AFT Votes: Educators for Harris

At our union’s national convention in Houston, AFT became the first union to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris for president in this November’s consequential election.

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2024 is a presidential election year, with consequential down-ballot races across a Texas where:

Public schools are struggling to survive without any new funding from the state since 2019.
A flurry of bad bills from the 88th Legislature are now law, infringing on the freedom to learn and threatening our neighborhood schools.
Constantly disrespected by those in power, dedicated teachers and school staff are streaming for the exits.
Our governor is waging war on legislators from his own party who stood against his school privatization schemes.

If this state’s 700,000 public school employees — along with their higher education and retired peers — don’t vote, this crisis will not change.

“In a state with a $33 billion surplus — an amount larger than the entire budgets of 24 states — we HAVE the money for a world-class, thriving public education system. What we don’t have are leaders who give a damn enough to do something about it.”
Texas AFT President Zeph Capo

November General Election

Oct. 7

Voter registration deadline

Oct. 21-Nov. 1

Early voting period

Nov. 5

Election Day

Check voter registration

What’s on the ballot?

View your sample ballot

Find a polling place

Request a mail-in ballot

Track mail-in ballots

Quote from Governor Tim Walz's speech at the Democratic National Convention: "Never underestimate a public school teacher." — **Progress is possible, as long as we keep marching. Plug into national efforts to support public schools at aftvotes.org.**

Get Involved & Get Out the Vote

This November, the very fabric of our democracy is on the ballot. Progress is possible, but it’s not guaranteed. We need every Texan committed to voting and helping others to vote. Sign up as a Texas AFT political volunteer to support pro-public school candidates at the local, state, and national levels.

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Texas AFT’s Committee on Political Education (COPE) allows public school school employees to build political power and elect candidates willing to fight alongside us for thriving public schools. By donating to the Texas AFT COPE, you help us advocate for you and your family.

Donate

Every purchase made at store.texasaft.org acts as a donation to Texas AFT COPE. If you’re not a member of our union, this is the easiest way to donate and help fund our fight for real solutions to #ThriveTogether. All items in the store are union-printed and made in the USA.

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What kind of Texas schools will we choose?

This …

We are fighting for the investment our kids need to thrive, and that means real solutions like community schools with wraparound services, experiential learning opportunities, support for children’s (and families’) emotional stability and security, and an environment designed to create joyful, confident readers. This isn’t “radical indoctrination”; it’s investing in our future, and we can it this year.

… or That

Illustration of a crumbling school building, padlocked on the front door. The name of the school is Abbott's Elementary.

Texas spends around $3,314 less per student than the national average each year. That’s roughly $18 billion less spent on Texas public schools than elsewhere in the United States, even though Texas has the world’s eighth-largest economy. We can afford thriving schools. Instead, Gov. Greg Abbott wasted five legislative sessions last year trying to jam through a private school voucher scam.

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Voter Information FAQs

How do I vote in Texas?

That’s a question that gets more complicated by the day. To cast your ballot, you must be registered to vote (you can check your status online), and you must bring an acceptable form of identification. The address on your ID does NOT need to match the address where you are registered to vote, and the name on the ID does NOT need to match exactly the way your name is written on your voter registration.

Early voting for the 2024 primary election runs Feb. 20 through March 1. Election Day, the final day to cast your ballot, is March 5. Early voting hours vary by county, but polls are open on Election Day from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

During the early voting period, you can vote at any polling location in your county, but not all counties have adopted countywide voting on Election Day. You can check the Texas Secretary of State’s website to see if your county has adopted countywide voting on Election Day. In non-countywide voting areas, you must vote in your own precinct on Election Day.

To find where you can cast your ballot early or on Election Day, you can check the “My Voter Portal” page or you can check your county’s election website. If the list of polling places on the “My Voter Portal” is not available, the list will be available, at the latest, two days prior to the start of early voting.

What about accommodations for voters?

All polling locations must offer at least one voting system that is acceptable for voters with disabilities, and voters with disabilities cannot be turned away by a poll worker who does not think the voter has the capacity to vote on account of their disability. Voters who are physically unable to enter the polling facility may request a curbside voting option.

Voters who cannot speak English, or who communicate only with sign language, may use an interpreter to help them communicate with election officials. More information for voters with accommodation needs is available on VoteTexas.gov.

What happens if I have a problem voting?

If you encounter an issue while voting, you can call the nonpartisan Election Protection Hotline:
English: 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683)
Español: 888-Ve-Y-Vota (839-8682)
Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Vietnamese, Bengali, Urdu, Hindi, and Tagalog: 888-API-VOTE (888-274-8683)
Arabic: 844-YALLA-US (844-925-5287)
American Sign Language (video call): 301-818-VOTE (301-818-8683)
Disability Rights Texas: 888-796-VOTE

What triggers a primary runoff election?

In a primary election, if a party does not have a candidate with 50% or more of the votes, a runoff breaks the “tie” to decide the nominee for that party.

Who can vote in a primary runoff?

Any registered voter! If you voted in the March 2024 primary, you must vote in the same party runoff. If you did NOT vote in this year’s primary, you can vote with either party.

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Texas AFT under state law is not allowed to use member dues money for political contributions to candidates. So voluntary contributions from members to the Committee on Political Education (COPE) are the only means to provide direct financial support to candidates.