Endorsement

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City Council – Place 3 Run-Off: Margot Clarke

Well, we were half right – voters agreed with us that Margot Clarke was one of the two best candidates running for Place 3, but they decided Jennifer Kim (not Mandy Dealey) was the other. The Place 3 race, with four well-qualified candidates, was a tough call, and we still think both Clarke and Kim would make solidly professional council members. But we also continue to believe that Clarke represents the best of Austin's tradition of grassroots participatory democracy, and that her long record of local and state activism as well as her diligent work in regional and state nonprofit organizations have given her the variety of experiences that provides a good foundation for council service. Moreover, she has long been publicly active on the kind of local issues – the toll roads, re-redistricting, a whole series of environmental battles – that ensure she will continue to be a strong public voice (and vote) on a council that will certainly need some fire to continue the activist tradition of retiring incumbents Jackie Goodman and Daryl Slusher. Clarke is a scrapper; her 2003 defeat by Brewster McCracken clearly made her a more seasoned, savvy, and polished candidate, and one ready to take on the challenges represented by a new council that will be looking for an identity, and a persistent voice for citizen participation. She has also stayed staunchly independent of the local heavyweight power brokers who continue to look for ways to return to the good old days of the Best Council Money Can Buy; we're delighted Clarke makes them nervous.

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EARLY VOTING

Early voting runs Wednesday through Friday, May 25-27, and Tuesday, May 31 through Tuesday, June 7. Travis County Elections is conducting the Place 3 run-off election for the city of Austin. All qualified Travis County voters can vote early at any of the below sites.

All locations are open Monday-Saturday, 7am-7pm and Sunday, noon-6pm, except Highland Mall and Northcross Mall, open Monday-Saturday, 9am-8pm, and Sunday, noon-6pm.

For more election info, including detailed info about mobile voting sites, which change daily, call 238-VOTE or consult www.co.travis.tx.us/elections.

Central

• Fiesta Mart (3909 N. I-35 at Delwood)

• Travis County Airport Boulevard Offices (5501 Airport)

• Randalls (1500 W. 35th)

• Austin City Hall (301 W. Second, first floor)

North

• Highland Mall (6001 Airport, lower level by JCPenney)

• Northcross Mall (2525 W. Anderson, east end near Bealls)

• Randalls (1700 W. Parmer)

• Albertsons (11331 N. Lamar at Braker, temporary building in parking lot)

Northwest

• Randalls (10900-D Research at Braker)

• Albertsons (13435 Hwy. 183 N. at Anderson Mill Road South)

East

• Albertsons Riverside (1819 S. Pleasant Valley at Riverside, in parking lot)

South

• HEB South Congress (2400 S. Congress, in parking lot)

• Randalls Ben White (2025 W. Ben White Blvd. at Manchaca Road)

Southeast

• Albertsons (5510 S. I-35 at Stassney)

Southwest

• Randalls (6600 S. MoPac at William Cannon)