More early voters casting ballots in Texas
Nearly a third more local and statewide voters have voted in the Nov. 3 constitutional amendment election than they did in a similar election two years ago.
After the first three days of early voting, more than 88,464 voters — compared with 58,821 two years ago — voted early and in person, according to tallies from the state’s 15 largest counties.
While the numbers are up, that’s still less than 1 percent turnout of the state’s 8.9 million registered voters in those counties, election records show.
“We are always encouraged when numbers are up,” said Frank Phillips, Tarrant County’s elections administrator. “Generally on these elections, turnout is topic-driven.
“Obviously people are going to turn out for what’s important to them.”
Early voting runs through Oct. 30 for the Nov. 3 election, which includes seven proposed amendments to the state constitution that touch on issues including property valuations and raffles at professional sporting events.
Local races on the ballot include a school board election in Mansfield; city, water authority and library board of directors elections in Benbrook; charter propositions in Haltom City and White Settlement; and a road bond election in Keller.
Growing numbers
Voters headed to the polls to weigh in on one constitutional amendment last year, but that was in an election that included several high-profile races such as the battle for governor.
Voting is not only every voter’s responsibility and privilege, it is also our civic duty.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick
The last full constitutional amendment election was in 2013, when Texans voted on nine amendments addressing issues including creation of a state water fund and approving reverse mortgage loans.
That year, after three days of early voting, 5,053 ballots were cast in person in Tarrant County. This year, that number is up to 8,431 during that time frame, records show.
In 2011, 1,600 Tarrant County voters cast in-person ballots three days into early voting and 2,345 local voters cast ballots during that time in 2009, state records show.
This year, counties with the highest percentage turnout so far are Montgomery, 1.51 percent, Brazoria, 1.44 percent, and Harris, 1.34 percent, state records show.
Tarrant County is tied with Galveston County for the 10th-highest percentage turnout, records show.
There’s still a week left
State officials continue to encourage Texas voters statewide to head to the polls.
“Voting is not only every voter’s responsibility and privilege, it is also our civic duty,” Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said this week. “We have very important state propositions on the ballot this November that will lower our property taxes, prioritize transportation infrastructure funding and provide veteran benefits, just to name a few.
“You can vote anywhere within your county of residence,” he said of early voting. “It’s easy, convenient and most of all important.”
Polls remain open through the weekend — despite the continuing rain that is forecast — so voters can keep casting ballots.
Or they can wait until the rain stops.
“Typically, if we get some adverse weather, it tends to drive the turnout down,” Phillips said. “But fortunately, we still have early voting time after this weekend rain event.”
To see a sample ballot, go to the Tarrant County elections website.
The deadline to apply for a ballot by mail is 5 p.m. Friday. Local voters can return mail-in ballot applications by fax, email or in person.
For information call the Tarrant County Elections Center, 817-831-8683.
Anna M Tinsley: 817-390-7610, @annatinsley
PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE TEXAS CONSTITUTION
Early voting for the Nov. 3 general election runs through Oct. 30: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Friday; 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday; 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 26-28; and 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Oct. 29-30.
Proposition 1 — “The constitutional amendment increasing the amount of the residence homestead exemption from ad valorem taxation for public school purposes from $15,000 to $25,000, providing for a reduction of the limitation on the total amount of ad valorem taxes that may be imposed for those purposes on the homestead of an elderly or disabled person to reflect the increased exemption amount, authorizing the legislature to prohibit a political subdivision that has adopted an optional residence homestead exemption from ad valorem taxation from reducing the amount of or repealing the exemption, and prohibiting the enactment of a law that imposes a transfer tax on a transaction that conveys fee simple title to real property.”
Proposition 2 — “The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to provide for an exemption from ad valorem taxation of all or part of the market value of the residence homestead of the surviving spouse of a 100 percent or totally disabled veteran who died before the law authorizing a residence homestead exemption for such a veteran took effect.”
Proposition 3 — “The constitutional amendment repealing the requirement that state officers elected by voters statewide reside in the state capital.”
Proposition 4 — “The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to permit professional sports team charitable foundations to conduct charitable raffles.”
Proposition 5 — “The constitutional amendment to authorize counties with a population of 7,500 or less to perform private road construction and maintenance.”
Proposition 6 — “The constitutional amendment recognizing the right of the people to hunt, fish, and harvest wildlife subject to laws that promote wildlife conservation.”
Proposition 7 — “The constitutional amendment dedicating certain sales and use tax revenue and motor vehicle sales, use, and rental tax revenue to the state highway fund to provide funding for nontolled roads and the reduction of certain transportation-related debt.”
Source: Texas Secretary of State
Early voting sites
Tarrant County Elections Center, 2700 Premier St., Fort Worth. This is the main early voting site. Emergency and limited ballots are available there.
All Saints Catholic Church Parish Hall, 200 NW 20th St.
Arlington Subcourthouse, 700 E. Abram St.
Asia Times Square, 2615 W. Pioneer Parkway, Grand Prairie
Bedford Public Library, 2424 Forest Ridge Drive
Benbrook Community Center, 228 San Angelo Ave.
B.J. Clark Annex, Room 4, 603 Southeast Parkway, Azle
Bob Duncan Center, 2800 S. Center St., Arlington
Center for Community Service Junior League of Arlington, 4002 W. Pioneer Parkway, Arlington
Colleyville City Hall, 100 Main St.
Crowley Community Center, 900 E. Glendale St.
Dan Echols Center, 6801 Glenview Drive, North Richland Hills
Diamond Hill/Jarvis Branch Library, 1300 NE 35th St., Fort Worth
Eagle Mountain-Saginaw school district Administration Building 6, Training Room, 1200 Old Decatur Road, Saginaw
Euless Public Library, 201 N. Ector Drive
Elzie Odom Athletic Center, 1601 NE Green Oaks Blvd., Arlington
Forest Hill Civic and Convention Center, 6901 Wichita St., Forest Hill
The REC of Grapevine, 1175 Municipal Way
Griffin Subcourthouse, 3212 Miller Ave., Fort Worth
Godley ISD Administration Building, 313 N. Pearson St., Godley
Haltom City Northeast Center, 3201 Friendly Lane
Handley/Meadowbrook Community Center, 6201 Beaty St., Fort Worth
Hurst Recreation Center, 700 Mary Drive
James Avenue Service Center, 5001 James Ave., Fort Worth
JPS Health Center Viola M. Pitts/Como, Lower Level, Suite 100, 4701 Bryant Irvin Road N.
Keller Town Hall, 1100 Bear Creek Parkway
Kennedale Community Center, 316 W. Third St.
Lake Park Operations Center, 5610 Lake Ridge Parkway, Grand Prairie
Mansfield Subcourthouse, 1100 E. Broad St.
Northeast Courthouse, Community Room, 645 Grapevine Highway, Hurst
Richland Hills Community Center, 3204 Diana Drive, Richland Hills
Sheriff's Department North Patrol Division, 6651 Lake Worth Blvd., Lake Worth
Southlake Town Hall, 1400 Main St.
South Service Center, 1100 SW Green Oaks Blvd., Arlington
Southside Community Center, 959 E. Rosedale St., Fort Worth
Southwest Subcourthouse, 6551 Granbury Road, Fort Worth
Summerglen Branch Library, 4205 Basswood Blvd., Fort Worth
Tarrant County College Southeast Campus, EMB- C Portable Building, 2100 Southeast Parkway, Arlington
Tarrant County Plaza Building, 201 Burnett St.
Villages of Woodland Springs Amenity Center, 12209 Timberland Blvd., Fort Worth
White Settlement Public Library, 8215 White Settlement Road
Worth Heights Community Center, 3551 New York Ave., Fort Worth
Source: Tarrant County Elections Office
This story was originally published October 22, 2015 at 9:29 PM with the headline "More early voters casting ballots in Texas."