5 reasons to vote in the 2018 Primary Runoff

One thing is true about Travis County conservative voters: they're good closers.

Vote counts tend to increase toward the end of the first week of early voting. But in the case of the only week of early voting in the Republican Primary Runoff, voter tallies have been, as expected, anemic (under 6,000 votes by Friday). In an effort to boost our last day of early voting (that's today, Friday, FYI) we put together a list of five reasons why you should care about this year's GOP Primary Runoff -- especially in Travis County:

1. Your vote counts even more, proportionally speaking. Here's a good article on why. There are roughly 600,000 voters in Travis County, and if only 23,000 have cast their ballot, then that means you represent 26 voters. That's like voting for your whole block!

2. Higher turnout shows enthusiasm for the conservative cause. Even if you don't know who to vote for, cast a blank ballot (it's allowed) and "vote" for your party. The media is paying attention, and you know they'll point out that there are more Democrat voters this time, without explaining why (see below).

3. Take the spotlight away from the Dems. The Democratic Party has some high-profile races on the ballot (attracting 18,856 voters in Travis so far) including a Governor's race runoff and some Congressional seats. But the Republican ticket had all the talent in the 2018 election cycle. Not even the left-leaning Austin Chronicle dared to make an endorsement in the Democratic Primary Runoff! By supporting a candidate (or two) in the GOP runoff we show the world watching that we have quality candidates running for office in the Austin area -- a message that needs to be heard any chance we can get between now and November.

4. There are important races on the ballot. Learn more about the candidates for the Third Court of Appeals and Congressional District 21 here.

5. Stay in the loop. Technology has changed the way we campaign, as candidates are now able to pinpoint frequent and reliable voters. When you cast your ballot in a Primary Runoff you join a rather elite team of loyal voters who are the first to learn about candidates, see their ads, and even meet them on your doorstep. Yes, we understand a lot of people may not want to be bothered and hate junk mail, but be honest: if you're reading this blog, you care about politics! You're going to get door-knockers and campaign mailers anyway. Why not be the first?

Early voting ends at 7 p.m. Friday, May 18, and election day is Tuesday, May 22, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Find your voting locations at the links provided here.

The Travis GOP is sharing this social graphic to raise awareness of what is historically a low-turnout election.