What's on your ballot? Local Races
What's on your ballot? ​
Go to your sample ballot at epcountyvotes.com/voter-information/dashboard
Come back and learn more about what each position does and how they affect your day-to-day life.
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Justice of the Peace
In Texas, a Justice of the Peace (JP) is elected for a term of four years from each justice precinct in the county. There are 7 precincts in El Paso County. A JP presides over the justice court in cases involving Class C misdemeanors, like traffic cases; truancy cases; small civil disputes; landlord/tenant disputes; issuing arrest and search warrants; conduct judicial inquiries; and a variety of duties related to day-to-day public administration and public safety.
Examples range from:
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Implementing programs or fines for school truancy
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Hearing traffic cases
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Conducting marriage ceremonies.
County Commissioner
In Texas counties, voters elect 4 county commissioners. Voters may only vote for the county commissioner representing the precinct in which they live. Together, the County Judge and these four commissioners form what' called the County Commissioners Court.
As the governing body for the county, responsibilities of the court include:
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Approving county budgets, tax rates, purchases, contracts, county salaries and benefits
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Filling office vacancies; managing all county buildings and facilities, including the maintenance and management of county roads
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Providing for public health and welfare
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Holding general and special elections of the county
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County Commissioners Court determines the tax rates for property taxes for El Paso County homeowners and determines how that money is spent within El Paso County.​
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To qualify as a candidate for county commissioner, a person must be a U.S. Citizen, a Texas resident for at least 12 consecutive months, a precinct resident for at least six consecutive months, registered to vote in the commissioner’s precinct, at least 18 years old, and not have been finally convicted of a felony.
County Probate Court Judge
The county probate court is a specialized court that oversees the legal process of administering a deceased person’s estate, validating wills, identifying heirs, paying debts and taxes, and distributing remaining assets, while also administering trusts and managing guardianships for minors and conservatorships for incapacitated adults.
The jurisdiction of a probate court is limited. The primary purpose of the court is to ensure proper and legal management of estates under state law.
The duties of the Probate Court typically include the following:
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Will validation
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Estate administration: Appointing personal representatives to manage assets
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Asset Management: Overseeing inventory, valuation and distribution of a decedent’s property
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Debt & Tax Resolution: Ensuring outstanding debts and taxes are paid from the estate
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Heir Identification
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Guardianships & Conservatorships
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Disputing Resolutions: Resolving conflicts over wills, trusts, and estate administration.
County Court at Law Judge
County Courts of Law in El Paso County handle civil cases such as workers’ compensation, evictions, appeals from Justice of the Peace courts, condemnations, wrongful terminations, or property damage.
These courts also handle family cases involving divorces, child support, protective orders, adoptions, Child Protective Service cases, and juvenile prosecutions.
Many people seek assistance from these courts in preserving their rights (under state law) or seeking resolutions to family matters.
District Court Judge
District Court judges in El Paso County handle civil, criminal, and family cases. These courts oversee many different types of cases, some of which appear in local news.
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Civil cases include wrongful terminations, slip and falls, discrimination, workers compensation, contracts disputes, or property damage.
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Examples of criminal cases are: assaults, murders, DWIs, robbery.
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Family cases involve divorces, custody disputes, child support, adoptions, Child Protective Service cases, and Juvenile prosecutions.
County Judge
The role of county judge combines executive, administrative, and judicial duties. Judges preside over the commissioner’s court where they manage budgets and finances and oversee county operations. In addition to handling judicial cases such as probation, juvenile, and misdemeanor cases, county judges also act as the head of emergency management and appoint various members to county boards and commissions.
District Clerk​
In Texas, the district clerk is elected for a term of four years. Their duties are divided into administrative, recordkeeping, finance, and miscellaneous. They perform the duties as registrar, recorder and custodian of all court pleadings, instruments and papers that are part of any legal cause of action in the district courts. For example, the district clerk maintains all court records, collects filing fees, holds funds, and coordinates jury panel selection.
To qualify as a candidate for county commissioner, a person must be a U.S. Citizen, a Texas resident for at least 12 consecutive months, a precinct resident for at least six consecutive months, registered to vote in the county, at least 18 years old, and not have been finally.
County Clerk​
County Clerks manage vital county records, serving as chief record-keeper for courts and governments, issuing licenses (ex. Marriage licenses), administer elections, maintain property, manage deeds, track vital statistics (births and deaths), court records, and manage county documents.
The duties of a county clerk include the following:
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Licensing (marriage licenses and permits for public events)
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Financial Duties (handling financial ledgers, collecting fees, fines and marriage bonds)
County clerks act as public record custodians. In Texas counties with populations smaller than 8,000, it is common for a county clerk to the roles of both a district and county clerk.
County Democratic Party Chair​​​
Chairs coordinate elections-related activities, such as administering primary elections. By leading the Democratic Party, the Chair sets priorities for local party efforts, raises funds to support party operations, leads county party meetings, is the main spokesperson for the county party, and supports Democratic candidates to ensure they are elected into office.