ELECTION DAY FOR CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT ELECTION, BOND ELECTIONS

  

Election Day is here, and voters have one last day to make their voices heard in the constitutional amendment election and school district bond elections.

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. today (Tuesday) for eight places across Washington County for the constitutional amendment election.  Those are Friedens Church of Washington and the Washington County Expo Event Center for voters in Precinct 1, the Chappell Hill Volunteer Fire Department and Brenham VFW Hall for Precinct 2, the Brenham American Legion Hall and St. Peter’s Lutheran Church of Gay Hill for Precinct 3 voters, and the Blinn College Student Center and Burton Community Center for Precinct 4.

The constitutional amendments on the ballot cover topics such as religious freedom, property taxes and judicial eligibility.

A breakdown of each of the eight propositions to be considered by voters, along with a sample ballot, is available below.

• Proposition 1: Authorizes professional sports team charitable organizations to conduct raffles at rodeo venues.
• Proposition 2: Authorizes a county to issue bonds to fund infrastructure and transportation projects in undeveloped and blighted areas.
• Proposition 3: Amends the Texas Constitution to prohibit the state or any political subdivision from enacting a law, rule, order, or proclamation that limits religious services or organizations.
• Proposition 4: Changes the eligibility requirements for the following judicial offices: a justice of the supreme court, a judge of the court of criminal appeals, a justice of a court of appeals, and a district judge.
• Proposition 5: Authorizes the Texas State Commission on Judicial Conduct to accept and investigate complaints and reports against candidates running for state judicial office.
• Proposition 6: Amends the Texas Constitution to state that residents of nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, or state-supported living centers have a right to designate an essential caregiver that may not be prohibited from visiting the resident.
• Proposition 7: Amends the Texas Constitution to allow the legislature to extend a homestead tax limit for surviving spouses of disabled individuals as long as the spouse is 55 years old and resides at the home.
• Proposition 8: Amends the Texas Constitution to allow the legislature to apply a homestead tax exemption for surviving spouses of members of the military to those fatally injured in the line of duty.

Click here to view a sample ballot for the constitutional amendment election.

There are also bond elections in Burton and Bellville ISDs.  Burton ISD has one bond proposal for $43.8 million, while Bellville ISD has two totaling $112.4 million.

Burton ISD’s bond seeks to address various academic and athletic projects such as adding and renovating classrooms, renovating fine arts facilities, upgrading the cafeteria and kitchen, creating an enclosed connection for district buildings, adding a new competition gym and stadium, and performing various site and drainage improvements.

The first of Bellville ISD’s two bond proposals would provide funding for a new high school and roof, HVAC and window replacements at existing facilities, while the second would build a sports complex for baseball, softball and tennis at the new high school.

Voters in Burton ISD have two places to go to participate in the bond election, those being St. Peter’s Lutheran Church of Gay Hill for voters in Precinct 3 and the Burton Community Center for Precinct 4 voters.

For Bellville ISD, there are six places to vote in the bond election.  Precinct 1 voters can go to Fuchs Hall at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Bellville.  Voters in Precincts 205, 206 and 207 will go to the Sens Activity Center in Bellville, while voters in Precincts 208, 209, 210 and 211 will vote at the Industry City Building.  The W.E. Hill Community Center in Sealy is the designated location for Precinct 3 voters.  Voting for Precinct 415 will be done at the Wallis Columbus Club Hall, while voters in Precincts 416, 417 and 418 will vote at the Sealy American Legion Post 442.