UT Austin Police Seek Suspect After Fire Alarms Disrupt Voting

University of Texas at Austin police are searching for a person of interest after two fire alarms went off Tuesday morning, Nov. 3, briefly halting voting at the Texas Union, the bustling campus landmark serving as an Election Day polling location, CBS Austin reported.

The first alarm sent voters and election workers into the hallways, and voting did not resume until approximately ten minutes had passed. When the second alarm sounded later that same Tuesday morning, the process repeated: a brief evacuation, a pause in ballot casting, and a return to normal operations roughly ten minutes later, according to the UT Austin Police Department. While the delays were short, the department is treating the incidents as a criminal offense rather than a routine malfunction, and investigators have released an image of a person witnesses identified as a possible suspect.

The disruption carries extra weight this year because the Texas Union is hosting its first presidential election as the university’s primary polling place. According to a 2024 report from The Daily Texan cited by Hoodline, the university planned to shift the location from the Flawn Academic Center to the Union for the November presidential election because of construction planned at the FAC. That shift placed a busy student hub at the center of Election Day, drawing voters between classes, labs, and jobs to cast ballots in a building that normally serves as a gathering space rather than a polling station.

Police Seek Visitor Details After Alarms Trigger

Officers are investigating two separate incidents Tuesday morning in which the fire alarm was activated inside the Texas Union. Police believe the person of interest is not affiliated with the university, suggesting the suspect may have been a visitor rather than a student or staff member. The department has described the matter as an active criminal investigation rather than a routine alarm malfunction.

Fire alarms twice interrupt election day voting at ut austin s texas union — Photo: hoodline.com

Anyone with information about the person’s identity is asked to email [email protected], a contact point reported by KEYE, and anyone who spots the individual should contact UTPD dispatch at 512-471-4441, option 9, according to the Austin American-Statesman.

Why the Texas Union’s New Role Matters

The Union’s position as a polling site traces back to a 2024 decision reported by The Daily Texan and detailed by Hoodline: construction at the Flawn Academic Center prompted the university to move its primary Election Day location to the Union for the November presidential election. That change put one of the busiest buildings on campus in charge of handling ballots, meaning the fire alarms interrupted a steady stream of students, faculty, and staff trying to vote on Nov. 3.

Voters who faced delays at the Union had other options nearby, including the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs and University Presbyterian Church, giving the campus community alternatives if lines or disruptions became an issue. Despite the two morning interruptions, voting at the Texas Union was scheduled to continue until 7 p.m., according to The Daily Texan, giving voters a full day to cast ballots even after the alarms.

What Police Have Not Said

As of Wednesday morning, Nov. 4, the investigation remains ongoing. Police have not revealed whether anyone has been identified, arrested, or charged in connection with the alarm activations, and they have not provided a name, motive, or further description beyond the image. They also have not confirmed whether the two alarms were pulled by the same person or whether the person of interest remains on or near campus.

For now, the case depends on public help. UTPD is asking anyone who recognizes the person of interest to come forward through the email address or the dispatch line, emphasizing that the individual is believed to have no ties to the university and that the investigation is being handled as a criminal matter rather than a simple campus incident.