Sandia, Texas Public Records

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Applications are available from county offices, libraries, or as downloads online. Registration must be completed 30 days before any election. Eligibility requires U.S. Citizenship, Texas residency, being at least 18 by Election Day, having no final felony conviction (or having completed all sentences, probation, and parole if convicted), and not being declared mentally incapacitated by a court. Voters must present acceptable photo ID: Texas driver's license, Texas personal ID card, Texas election identification certificate, Texas handgun license, U.S. Military ID, U.S. Passport, or U.S. Citizenship certificate with photo. Because Sandia is unincorporated without municipal government, residents vote only in Jim Wells County, state, and federal elections - no city council or mayoral races appear on local ballots. Voters can find their assigned polling location through the "My Voter Portal" tool at www.votetexas.gov or by calling the County Elections office. The November 2024 general election saw approximately 52% turnout in Jim Wells County, with roughly 6,800 ballots cast from approximately 13,000 registered voters countywide. The November 3, 2026 general election will feature several critical races for Sandia voters: all U.S. House seats (the community falls within Texas Congressional District 27), the Texas Governor's race (incumbent Greg Abbott's term expires in 2027), Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, all Texas House seats (Sandia is in District 43), multiple statewide judicial positions, and Jim Wells County offices including County Judge, County Commissioner for Precinct 4 (which covers Sandia), County Clerk, Sheriff, Tax Assessor-Collector, County Treasurer, and potentially Justice of the Peace and County Constable depending on the cycle. Texas restricts mail-in voting to specific categories: voters 65 or older, those with a disability or illness, voters confined in jail but otherwise eligible, and voters absent from the county during all of early voting and Election Day. Mail-in ballot applications must reach the Jim Wells County Elections office - not just be postmarked - by the 11th day before Election Day. Early voting typically occurs at the Jim Wells County Courthouse and potentially other locations, starting on the 17th day before Election Day and ending four days prior. Public election records in Texas include voter registration lists (available for purchase for political purposes), campaign finance reports (filed with the Texas Ethics Commission for state candidates and the Jimwells County Clerk for local races), candidate applications and filings, precinct-level results, and early voting and Election Day rosters. These documents can be reviewed at the County Elections office or, for statewide information, through the Texas Secretary of State's website. The county posts unofficial results on election night, with official canvassed results certified within days.