Wichita Falls Candidate Filing Open Through Aug. 17 for 2026 Election
Wichita Falls’ candidate filing period remains open through Aug. 17 for the city’s Nov. 3, 2026 general election, which will cover the mayor’s office and City Council Districts 3, 4 and 5.
The City of Wichita Falls says applications for a place on the ballot may be filed from July 18 through Aug. 17. Candidates seeking to run as write-ins have a separate deadline of Aug. 21.
The filing deadlines are the next major milestones in determining the field for four city offices or districts. The candidate listings currently posted by the city are not the final election result, and the field may change before regular filing closes.
Who is currently listed
The city’s election information page currently lists Tim Short and Scott Poenitzsch as candidates for mayor.
David Coleman and Cathy Dodson are listed for City Council District 3. Mike Battaglino is listed for District 4, and Tom Taylor is listed for District 5.
Those listings show the candidates currently identified by the city for the 2026 election. They do not indicate who will win, and a race should not be treated as uncontested simply because one candidate is listed at a particular point in the filing period.
Dates voters should track
Voter registration closes Oct. 5, 2026. Residents who are not registered by that date will miss the scheduled registration deadline for the election.
Early voting is scheduled for Oct. 19 through Oct. 30. Election Day is Nov. 3, 2026.
That calendar gives voters several dates to watch: Aug. 17 for the end of regular candidate filing, Aug. 21 for write-in filings, Oct. 5 for voter registration, Oct. 19 for the start of early voting and Nov. 3 for the election itself.
Why the filing period matters
Candidate filing determines which choices can appear in the mayoral and council contests. It also establishes whether the races shown on the city’s current list will remain contested once the regular and write-in filing periods have ended.
The election will affect the mayor’s office and representation for residents of Districts 3, 4 and 5. For voters, the immediate practical issue is tracking the final candidate field while also meeting the registration and voting deadlines later in the year.
The City of Wichita Falls maintains the election schedule and current candidate listings on its election information page. The city also maintains agendas, minutes and public notices through its municipal records page, including election-related records.
Regular candidate filing is scheduled to close Aug. 17. Write-in filings may continue through Aug. 21, after which the ballot field for the November election will be clearer.
Sources
- Election Information, City of Wichita Falls
- Agendas and Minutes, City of Wichita Falls
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