May Matters Helps Texans Prepare for May 26 Primary Runoff Elections

Texas business, faith, education, and civic leaders work to expand informed election participation

AUSTIN, TX, UNITED STATES, May 19, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Early voting is underway for the Texas primary runoff election, giving voters one final week to weigh in on races that help shape representation across the state. The nonpartisan May Matters initiative is working with business, faith, education, civic, and community leaders to help Texans understand what a runoff election is, why it matters, and how to participate confidently in early voting through Friday, May 22 and on Election Day Tuesday, May 26.

Runoff elections in Texas happen when no candidate in a March primary receives more than 50% of the vote. The top two candidates then compete again, and the winner moves forward to the November ballot. In many Texas districts that lean heavily toward one party, the primary or runoff can effectively determine who represents that community.

Numbers Show Why May Matters

In the last Texas midterm primary in 2022, just over 3 million Texans voted across both major party primaries, meaning more than 82% of registered voters stayed home. By the May runoff, turnout had fallen to just 8.2% of registered voters, or roughly 1.4 million Texans statewide. In a state with more than 17 million registered voters at the time, some of Texas’ most consequential races were decided by a very small share of the electorate.

“Runoffs are important elections, but most Texans don’t hear enough about them,” said Marjorie Clifton, co-founder of May Matters. “These races help shape who represents our communities for years, but too many voters miss them because they don’t realize they are eligible, they don’t know what is on their ballot, or they simply never get a reminder. We exist to close that information gap with clear, nonpartisan guidance people can trust.”

Keeping Primary Participation Momentum Going

The coalition’s earlier effort, March Matters, showed what can happen when voters receive clear, nonpartisan information from people and institutions they already trust.

Nearly 4.5 million Texans voted across the Democratic and Republican primaries in March 2026, breaking recent midterm primary turnout records. Many factors contributed to that increase, but March Matters helped build awareness through a trusted messenger model. Nearly 400 partner organizations shared nonpartisan election information through social media, intranets, newsletters, bulletin boards, community meetings, and other channels, reaching an estimated 5 million Texans.

May Matters builds on that momentum by helping Texans understand the runoff process, know what is on their ballot, and participate in an election that is often overlooked but can have an outsized impact.

Helping Texans Vote with Confidence

May Matters helps Texans answer the practical questions that often determine whether someone participates in a runoff election, and encourages voters to take three simple steps before Election Day:

* Know if you’re eligible. Find out whether you can vote in the runoff and which party’s runoff ballot you can choose.
* Make a plan to vote. Confirm when and where to vote, what races are on your ballot, and what form of ID to bring to the polls.
* Research and share. Use trusted, nonpartisan sources to research candidates, then share accurate voting information with friends, coworkers, congregations, neighbors, and community networks.

“We aren’t telling people who to vote for,” said Clifton. “We’re helping trusted leaders share clear, nonpartisan information so more Texans can participate with confidence.”

Texas voters can learn more and access nonpartisan runoff resources at marchmatters.org.

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About March Matters
March Matters is a nonpartisan civic education and communications initiative focused on increasing informed participation in Texas elections. Through its May Matters runoff campaign, the initiative helps Texans understand key dates, election rules, and voting options for the May 26 Texas primary runoff election. March Matters partners with businesses, faith communities, associations, educators, nonprofits, and civic organizations to share clear, accurate, publicly available information through trusted community channels. March Matters does not endorse candidates, parties, or ballot positions.

Merrill Davis
March Matters
+1 713-213-7297
merrill@marchmatters.org

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