Governance & Policy

Election Information
Candidates
Information for Candidates
Becoming a Candidate for School Board
A packet containing the Texas Secretary of State's Form 2-94 required to become a candidate and additional information will be available to downloaded using the following link in January:
2026 Waco ISD Trustee Candidate Packet
Printed copies of the packet are also available in the superintendent's office at the Waco ISD Administration Building (501 Franklin Ave, Waco).
Filing Period
The first day for candidates to file an Application for a Place on the Waco Independent School District General and Special Election Ballot is January 14, 2026. The deadline to file is 5 p.m. on February 13, 2026.
Applications for a place on the ballot can be filed in the superintendent’s office at the Waco ISD Administration Building (501 Franklin Ave, Waco, TX. 76701) in person between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, by mail, or by email to elizabeth.cox@wacoisd.org.
Drawing for Ballot Order
A drawing to determine the order in which candidates for Trustee District 2, Trustee District 3 and At-Large, Place 7 will be listed on the ballot is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. in the superintendent's office at the administration building. The date will be provided soon.
Campaign Finance Reports
The schedule for reports due in connection with the May 2, 2026 election can be found on the Texas Ethics Commission website. Reports can be filed by hand delivery, mail, email or fax to Waco ISD Administration Building, 501 Franklin Ave, Waco, TX 76701; or elizabeth.cox@wacoisd.org; or 254-755-9690.
Election Results
As ballots are counted after the polls close, results will be posted on the McLennan County Elections Department website. Early voting totals and voter lists are also provided there.
Voters
Information for Voters
Voter Registration
You can check to see if you are registered to vote at VoteTexas.gov.
To register to vote in McLennan County, you must:
- Be 17 years, 10 months of age or older and turn 18 by Election Day;
- Be a United States citizen;
- Have not been determined by a final judgment of a court exercising probate jurisdiction to be totally mentally incapacitated or partially mentally incapacitated without the right to vote;
- Have not been finally convicted of a felony, or if you are a felon, you must have completed all of your punishment, including any term of incarceration, parole, supervision, period of probation, or you must have received a pardon; and
- Be a resident of McLennan County.
Voting by Mail
April 20, 2026 is the last day to apply for a ballot by mail for the May 2, 2026 election.
Any registered voter in Texas may vote by mail if they meet one of the following criteria:
- They are 65 years or older;
- They are sick or disabled;
- They are out of the county on election day and during the period for early voting by personal appearance; or
- They are confined in jail but otherwise eligible.
Applications must be received (not postmarked) in the county elections by 5 p.m. on April 20, 2026. For instructions on applying for a mail ballot or to check the status of a mail ballot, please visit the McLennan County Elections Department website.
Early Voting
Early voting will take place from April 20-28, 2026.
During early voting, registered voters in Waco ISD may vote at any of the following early voting sites:
- McLennan County Elections Administration Office
- Robinson Community Center
- Waco Multi-Purpose Community Center
- Holy Spirit Episcopal Church
- Hewitt City Hall/Library
Early voting sites will be expected to be open the following dates/times:
- April 20-25, 2026 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. - With the exception of Tuesday, April 21 closure for state holiday;
- Sunday, April 26, 2026 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
- April 27 and 28, 2026 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and
Election Day
Election Day is Saturday, May 2, 2026.
On Election Day, registered voters in McLennan County can vote at any of the county's vote centers. Polling places will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day.
Early voting totals, voter lists and a list of Election Day Vote Centers can be found on the McLennan County Elections Department website.
Voter ID Requirements
Texas requires voters to present one of the following "acceptable forms of photo ID":
- Texas Driver License issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS);
- United States Passport (book or card).
- United States Citizenship Certificate containing the person’s photograph; or
- United States Military Identification Card containing the person’s photograph;
- Texas Handgun License issued by DPS;
- Texas Personal Identification Card issued by DPS;
- Texas Election Identification Certificate issued by DPS;
With the exception of the U.S. Citizenship Certificate, which does not expire, for voters ages 18-69, the photo identification may not have expired more than four years before being presented. For voters age 70 and older, the photo identification may be expired for any length of time if it is otherwise valid.
For information on how to apply for a free Election Identification Certificate, please visit the Texas Department of Public Safety website.
If a voter does not have one of the forms of identification listed above and cannot reasonably obtain one, the voter can complete a Reasonable Impediment Declaration and provide one of the following 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 of (a) a certified domestic (from a U.S. state or territory) birth certificate or (b) a document confirming birth admissible in a court of law which establishes the voter’s identity (which may include a foreign birth document).
- copy of or original paycheck; or
- copy of or original government check;
- copy of or original bank statement;
- copy of or original current utility bill;
Election Archive and Historical Results
May 2, 2026
In January the Board set a trustee general election for Single Member District 3 and At Large Place 7 and a special election to fill the unexpired term in Single Member District 2 for Saturday, May 2, 2026. The general election is to serve three-year terms ending in May 2029 and the special election is to fill the unexpired term for Trustee District 2 through May 2027.
The filing period opened on January 14 and ended at 5 p.m. on February 13. Write-in candidates had the opportunity to submit a declaration of candidacy through 5 p.m. on February 17. Only a single candidate filed for each of the places included in the election. State law allows entities without contested elections to avoid election costs by certifying the candidates as unopposed and cancel the election. This action was taken by the Waco ISD Board of Trustees on February 26, 2026.
A downloadable map of the trustee districts can be found here. Following the 2020 Census, the boundaries of the single-member trustee districts were adjusted to balance the population in each district. More information on the redistricting process and the changes to the single-member trustee district boundaries can be found here.
The following candidates were certified unopposed after all relevant filing deadlines had passed:
- Trustee District 3
Jose Vidaña
- At Large Trustee, Place 7
Angelo Ochoa
- Special Election Trustee District 2
Arash Abnoussi
May 3, 2025
On May 3, 2025, voters will elect one member of the Waco Independent School District Board of Trustees representing Trustee District 4. The election for Trustee District 5 was canceled and the single candidate who had filed was certified as unopposed on February 19, 2025. This election is to serve three-year terms ending in May 2028.
A downloadable map of the trustee districts can be found here. Following the 2020 Census, the boundaries of the single-member trustee districts were adjusted to balance the population in each district. More information on the redistricting process and the changes to the single-member trustee district boundaries can be found here.
The filing period was open from 8 a.m. on January 15 and ended at 5 p.m. on February 14.
To date, the following candidates have filed for a place on the May 3 ballot:
- Trustee District 4
Taylor Bledsoe
Peaches Henry
- Trustee District 5 - Election Canceled February 19, 2025
Jim Patton - Unopposed
Official Election Results
In Trustee District 4, Taylor Bledsoe was elected for a full three-year term with 838 votes (65.26% of the ballots cast).
In Trustee District 5, Jim Patton was uncontested for a full three-year term.
The following reports from the McLennan County Elections Department provide a more detailed look at the election results:
- Waco ISD Cumulative Report
- Waco ISD Precinct Report
- Waco ISD Canvass Report
May 4, 2024
May 4, 2024
On May 4, 2024, voters will elect three members of the Waco Independent School District Board of Trustees. This includes positions representing Trustee District 1, Trustee District 2, and At-Large Place 6. All will be elected to serve three-year terms ending in May 2027.
A downloadable map of the trustee districts can be found here. Following the 2020 Census, the boundaries of the single-member trustee districts were adjusted to balance the population in each district. More information on the redistricting process and the changes to the single-member trustee district boundaries can be found here.
The filing period will begin at 8 a.m. on January 17 and will end at 5 p.m. on February 16.
To date, the following candidates have filed for a place on the May 4 ballot:
- Trustee District 1
- Jeremy Jamal Davis
- Trustee District 2
- Stephanie Ybarra Korteweg
- At-Large, Place 6
- Keith Maurice Guillory
- Lauren Monique Caldwell
May 6, 2023
May 6, 2023
On May 6, 2023, voters will elect three members of the Waco Independent School District Board of Trustees. This includes positions representing Trustee District 3, Trustee District 5, and At-Large Place 7. Trustees representing District 3 and At-Large Place 7 will be elected to serve three-year terms ending in May 2026. The district 5 trustee will be elected to serve the final two years of the current unexpired term for that position.
A downloadable map of the trustee districts can be found here. Following the 2020 Census, the boundaries of the single-member trustee districts were adjusted to balance the population in each district. More information on the redistricting process and the changes to the single-member trustee district boundaries can be found here.
To date, the following candidates have filed for a place on the May 6 ballot:
- Trustee District 3
- Jose Vidaña
- Trustee District 5 (unexpired term)
- Ashley Stone
- Jim Patton
- Abbie Ramirez
- Ashley Stone
- At-Large, Place 7
- Angelo Ochoa
- Peaches Henry
The filing period for Trustee District 3 and At-Large, Place 7 will begin at 8 a.m. on January 18 and will end at 5 p.m. on February 17.
The filing period for candidates seeking to serve the final two years of the unexpired term for District 5 will open when the school board orders a special election to fill the vacancy. The board is expected to order the special election at their meeting on February 16, 2023. In that case, the first day for candidates for District 5 to file an Application for a Place on the Waco Independent School District Special Election Ballot will be February 17, 2023, and the deadline will be 5 p.m. on March 6, 2023.
