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After candidates spoke during early voting event, council directs rental-notice changes for Activity Center
Summary
An event at the Lakeway Activity Center included candidate remarks during early voting hours; council declined to close the center during voting but directed staff to add notice language to rental agreements, proactively notify reservations that fall during elections, and coordinate with the election judge for enforcement.
City Council discussed an incident during recent early voting in which candidates spoke at an event occurring in a Lakeway Activity Center meeting room while polls were open. The city manager’s review found that staff had reviewed the event agenda in advance and that the booking itself did not appear to be a political event; however, council members and the city attorney said candidate remarks and amplified sound during voting raised electioneering concerns.
Council’s action: Rather than close the Activity Center to all rentals during elections, council directed staff to update the center’s rental materials and reservations process so renters receive a clear, signed notice about electioneering restrictions and that bookings falling during open voting will receive an explicit reminder about the Texas election code and the prohibition on electioneering within the protected areas. Council also directed staff to improve operational handling of event flow during voting hours (for example directing large community events to enter via alternate doors so lobby space remains available for voters) and to coordinate with the election judge and county election officials if a potential electioneering violation is observed.
Legal context: The city attorney advised that electioneering enforcement authority rests with the election judge and the Texas election code rather than the city; the city should avoid prescriptive restrictions that could run into legal challenges. Council seeks to reduce chance of accidental or intentional electioneering by improving renter notices and operational practices rather than broadly banning rentals during voting hours.
Why it matters: The Activity Center hosts community events and also serves as a polling location; council must balance public use of city facilities with the need to maintain neutral, unobstructed voting areas. The new rental-language and notification steps are intended to give staff a clear, defensible process and reduce chances of election-code violations in city facilities.
What’s next: Staff will draft updated rental agreement language and an administrative notification process for reservations that coincide with elections, and will coordinate with the city attorney and the county election office to ensure the process is legally sound and enforceable where appropriate.
