Why the City’s July 2 Runoff Election Day is During the 4th of July Holiday Weekend

The runoff election date is July 2. On that day, citizens of the City of San Angelo will decide on who will become the next police chief. Incumbent Chief Tim Vasquez is facing challenger Lt. Frank Carter.

In Single Member District 5, incumbent San Angelo City Councilwoman Elizabeth Grindstaff will face Lane Carter in the runoff.

July 2 is an interesting choice of a date. It seems a long time from the May 7 general election and it's scheduled on the Saturday of the July 4^th holiday weekend.

City spokesman Anthony Wilson said state law mandates the long gap between the general and runoff elections. “Governor Abbott signed it into law about a year ago,” Wilson said. One principle reason for a mandated 45-day gap is so election officials can deliver absentee mail-in ballots. The military voters are the beneficiaries of the state-mandated 45-day gap.

Having the election on a holiday weekend has raised some eyebrows. Wilson said the city could have scheduled the runoffs a week later, but officials were also concerned about the long gap.

With the traditionally long early voting window, usually five days, and the availability of voting centers on July 2, Wilson said city officials felt the holiday weekend voting date was somewhat mitigated.

Frank Carter won the general election on May 7 with 33.64 percent of the vote. Incumbent Tim Vasquez was in close second with 31.34 percent of the vote. There were 9,131 votes cast in the San Angelo Police Chief election.

In the SMD 5 City Council race, political upstart Lane Carter defeated incumbent Liz Grindstaff with 45.39 percent of the vote. Grindstaff, who had just four fewer votes, received 45.17 percent of the vote. There were 1,822 votes cast in that race.

Since neither race had a candidate receive 50 percent plus one vote, state law mandates a runoff election.