Christians Engaged

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Your TX Christian Guide to Voting in City Elections

By: The Leadership of Christians Engaged

Important Note: City and School Board elections are oftentimes nonpartisan races. Because of this, it is very important for voters to carefully research and scrutinize the candidates and their positions on the issues.

During this election - we also have 2 Texas Constitutional Amendments on the ballot as well. See those below.

Texas Dates:

Election Day - Saturday, May 7th

Early Voting - April 25th to May 3rd.

STEP 1: READ OUR BLOGS ON CITY & SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS

STEP 2: PULL YOUR SAMPLE BALLOT FROM YOUR COUNTY ELECTIONS DEPARTMENT

(You can find your sample ballot by entering your address HERE, but it may be incomplete. The most comprehensive list will be on your county elections website).

STEP 3: SPEND SOME TIME RESEARCHING THE CANDIDATES IN EACH RACE ON YOUR BALLOT & MAKE YOUR CHOICE

  • After you’ve completed STEP 1 (above), look at the candidate websites to see where they stand on the issues. Also check out their Facebook pages and other social media accounts.

  • Look at who supports them: organizations, groups, key endorsements, etc.

STEP 4: LOOK TO OUTSIDE SOURCES FOR INFORMATION ON CANDIDATES' BACKGROUNDS & FUNDRAISING INFORMATION (Don’t be afraid to Google their names - you might be shocked what you find.)

STEP 5: PRAY & ASK GOD FOR WISDOM TO PICK THE BEST CANDIDATE IN EACH RACE

STEP 6: Here are the Constitutional Amendments on the ballot from the Texas Secretary of State’s Website. Texans will have the opportunity to approve the following amendments with a majority vote:

Proposition 1 (SJR 2 - 87th Legislature, 2nd Special Session)

“The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to provide for the reduction of the amount of a limitation on the total amount of ad valorem taxes that may be imposed for general elementary and secondary public school purposes on the residence homestead of a person who is elderly or disabled to reflect any statutory reduction from the preceding tax year in the maximum compressed rate of the maintenance and operations taxes imposed for those purposes on the homestead.”

Proposition 2 (SJR 2 - 87th Legislature, 3rd Special Session)

“The constitutional amendment increasing the amount of the residence homestead exemption from ad valorem taxation for public school purposes from $25,000 to $40,000.”

Good resources with more explanations:

Texas Proposition 1 and Proposition 2 explained: What’s on your ballot | The Texas Tribune

Here's a Look at the Property Tax Items on the May 7 Constitutional Amendment Ballot | The Texan


Frequently Asked Questions:

  • Where Do I Vote? Your county elections department website should have a list of polling locations. Note: there are oftentimes fewer Early Voting locations than Election Day locations.

  • When is Early Voting? Though specific times vary by county, early voting begins on Monday, April 25th and runs through Tuesday, May 3rd. Check with your specific county’s elections department for exact times. (Bookmark it on your computer or phone for future use.)

  • May I Vote by Mail? Yes, the deadline to submit a ballot request (received not postmarked) is Tuesday, April 26th. The deadline to submit the ballot is Saturday, May 7, 2022 by 7:00 pm.

  • When is Election Day? Saturday, May 7, 2022

  • REMINDER THAT WE HAVE TEXAS PRIMARY RUNOFFS COMING AS WELL SOON. ELECTION DAY IS MAY 24TH. EARLY VOTING IS MAY 16-20.

Our podcast with Jami McCain, Former City Council Member & Executive Pastor - Being Light in our Cities - Watch or listen here: Video & Audio.


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