It’s the time of the year when responsible citizens will fill school cafeterias and civic centers around town: Election Day. And while today isn’t a presidential election or a midterm, it’s the natural duty of a citizen to participate in the electoral process.
For the Houston area, Mayor Bill White’s position is up for grabs, but it’s unlikely to be threatened by candidates Amanda Ulman and Outlaw Josey Wales IV.
Wales is a wrestling promoter; Ulman is an activist for the Socialist Workers Party.
Also for the Houston area, three at-large council seats are up for grabs, as are seats in Districts B, C, D, E and I.
The Houston Independent School District, along with the Cypress-Fairbanks and Spring Branch Independent School Districts, have school bond issues on the slate for voters’ approval or disapproval.
In the statewide election, 16 proposed amendments to the already long Texas constitution are on the ballot this time around. The amendments cover a wide territory of issues, including Proposition 2, a move that would increase the amount of bonds the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board can sell for student loans. The increase would raise the organization’s cap to $500 million from $400 million.
Another amendment that’s getting a significant amount of attention is Proposition 15, which would allow the Legislature to authorize $3 billion for cancer research. The amendment has garnered support from Tour de France champion and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong and Gov. Rick Perry and has been the focus of a statewide campaign.
While the opportunity to pass potentially life-changing amendments to the constitution is at hand, voter apathy is still expected today. Texas Secretary of State Phil Wilson said he expects only 10 percent of registered voters to show up at the polls, which is a grim prediction from the state’s chief election officer.
It’s pretty simple: participate now. Poll results are never certain until every ballot is counted. But what is certain, or at least what politicians in Austin might believe, is that low turnout serves as a free ticket for their actions to go unchecked. Comprehensive information on issues is available, such as at www.harrisvotes.com and in the News section of today’s Cougar.
This is the time to speak up before the moment passes.
