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July 23, 2026
City has three positions on the election ballot, House and Senate debate voter registration requirements
By Jessica Nohealapa’ahi
The Bandera Prophet
Two Bandera City Council seats and City of Bandera mayor are on this year’s ballot. Each position is a two-year term, expiring in November 2028.
The last day to submit an application for a place on the ballot is Aug. 17. To be eligible, a candidate must be a registered voter and reside within the municipal limits for at least 12 months prior to Election Day, wich is Nov. 3.
Key notes
The last day to register to vote in this year’s mid-term election is Monday, Oct. 5. Early voting will begin Monday, Oct. 19, ending Friday, Oct. 30. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.
According to the Texas Secretary of State, acceptable forms of photo ID include:
Alternately accepted supporting forms of ID:
The SAVE Act
The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act is a federal bill, introduced in the House by Representative Chip Roy of Texas and sponsored in the Senate by Senator Mike Lee of Utah. It passed the House of Representatives yesterday.
Its stated goal is to ensure only U.S. citizens vote in federal elections. Noncitizen voting has been a federal crime since 1996. Under the SAVE Act, voters would need to present documentary proof of U.S. citizenship, in person, before completing registration.
Acceptable documents include: a form of identification issued consistent with the requirements of the REAL ID Act; a valid U.S. passport or passport card; a certified birth certificate paired with a government-issued photo ID; an official U.S. military ID card together with a service record indicating a place of birth in the U.S.; a naturalization certificate, or a Consular Report of Birth Abroad. Birth or naturalization certificates with names that do not match current identification would not be accepted, so additional documents such as a marriage certificate would be required.
House republicans have passed the legislation several times, but it has been blocked by the Senate. Most recently, the House attached the Save Act to the Stop Insider Trading Act, and it passed July 22, 216-214. It will now return to the Senate.
The last day to submit an application for a place on the ballot is Aug. 17. To be eligible, a candidate must be a registered voter and reside within the municipal limits for at least 12 months prior to Election Day, wich is Nov. 3.
Key notes
The last day to register to vote in this year’s mid-term election is Monday, Oct. 5. Early voting will begin Monday, Oct. 19, ending Friday, Oct. 30. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.
According to the Texas Secretary of State, acceptable forms of photo ID include:
- Texas Driver License issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)
- Texas Election Identification Certificate issued by DPS
- Texas Personal Identification Card issued by DPS
- Texas Handgun License issued by DPS
- United States Military Identification Card containing the person’s photograph
- United States Citizenship Certificate containing the person’s photograph
- United States Passport (book or card)
Alternately accepted supporting forms of ID:
- copy or original of a government document that shows the voter’s name and an address, including the voter’s voter registration certificate;
- copy of or original current utility bill;
- copy of or original bank statement;
- copy of or original government check;
- copy of or original paycheck; or
- copy of or original of a certified domestic (from a U.S. state or territory) birth certificate or a document confirming birth admissible in a court of law which establishes the voter’s identity (which may include a foreign birth document).
The SAVE Act
The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act is a federal bill, introduced in the House by Representative Chip Roy of Texas and sponsored in the Senate by Senator Mike Lee of Utah. It passed the House of Representatives yesterday.
Its stated goal is to ensure only U.S. citizens vote in federal elections. Noncitizen voting has been a federal crime since 1996. Under the SAVE Act, voters would need to present documentary proof of U.S. citizenship, in person, before completing registration.
Acceptable documents include: a form of identification issued consistent with the requirements of the REAL ID Act; a valid U.S. passport or passport card; a certified birth certificate paired with a government-issued photo ID; an official U.S. military ID card together with a service record indicating a place of birth in the U.S.; a naturalization certificate, or a Consular Report of Birth Abroad. Birth or naturalization certificates with names that do not match current identification would not be accepted, so additional documents such as a marriage certificate would be required.
House republicans have passed the legislation several times, but it has been blocked by the Senate. Most recently, the House attached the Save Act to the Stop Insider Trading Act, and it passed July 22, 216-214. It will now return to the Senate.