TYLER COUNTY – Texans have the opportunity to approve or reject a series of 17 different constitutional amendments. The early voting period began on Monday, and will last through until Friday, Oct. 31.
For the Nov. 4 election date, mail-in ballots must be received or postmarked by 7 p.m. on that day, or by Wednesday, Nov. 5, which is the next business day following Election Day, according to the Secretary of State’s office, if the envelope is postmarked by 7 p.m. at the location of the election.
The amendments up for the voters’ decision range from several items addressing tax relief to a hotly discussed bail reform amendment. If each measure earns a majority of votes, it will become codified as part of the state’s constitution, the Texan foundational legal document outlining the structure and functions of state government.
Voters will simply provide a “yes” or “no” vote for the amendments. According to the Texas Secretary of State, which drew the ballot order in June, the 17 separate amendments that will appear on November’s ballot are the largest number since 2003.
Proposition 11, which on the ballot, “expands the value exemption on elderly or disabled homeowners’ homesteads for school district taxes” is set up to freeze some tax increases for seniors or disasters, and exempts livestock feed, business equipment and veterans’ homes. Propositions 7 through 10 also deal with taxes, from allowing surviving veterans’ spouses to maintain a homestead property tax exemption (Prop. 7) to a ban on “death taxes” (Prop. 8).
Proposition 13 expands the homestead exemption from $100,000 to $140,000, which means homeowners’ home values are shielded from school property taxes.
The legislature also seeded around $850 million from the general fund to boost technical school education. Proposition 1 creates two dedicated funds for this end – one for technical college infrastructure and another for workforce education capital needs. The accompanying ballot initiative would establish a permanent fund to build and equip technical schools without having to get approval on the state budget for it.
Proposition 3 is another hot topic, as it covers denial of bail in certain felony cases, where, according to the ballot language, prosecutors can demonstrate that a suspect poses a risk of flight or danger to the community. Essentially, it grants judges more power to keep serious offenders in jail prior to trial.
Voters can check their status at the website VoteTexas.gov. Although the deadline for registering to vote in this election has passed, voters can still register to vote in future elections through the website of Jane Nelson, the Secretary of State.
The early voting location for Tyler Countians is the Tyler County Nutrition Center, located at 201 Veterans Way, in Woodville, behind McClure’s Furniture. The polls are open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Monday through Friday (Oct. 20-31) and from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Oct. 25 (Saturday). On Election Day, itself, the polls are open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.
What ID do I need to vote in Texas?
You must present one of the following forms of photo ID when voting in person:
