Early Voting Resources
Date Posted: 10/26/2023
Early voting has begun for the Nov. 7 Texas constitutional amendment election, as well as several local elections around the state and a special election in House District (HD) 2. Of particular interest to educators is an amendment that would provide a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to most Teacher Retirement System (TRS) retirees. It is important to know what will be on your ballot.
Luckily, a wealth of resources are available online to help you build your sample ballot so you know how you want to vote at the polls. ATPE’s TeachtheVote.org is a good resource for voters in HD 2. On top of TeachtheVote.org, Ballotpedia and Vote411 also use your address to pull up local races and are excellent tools for helping you build your ballot. The League of Women Voters of Texas has published a downloadable guide to the 14 constitutional amendments on the ballot, including ATPE-supported Proposition 9, which authorizes cost-of-living adjustments to certain TRS annuitants. If the amendment is passed by voters, retirees will receive a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). You can view all of the 14 proposed amendments on the Texas Secretary of State’s website. You may have local races, including school board races and school bond propositions, on your ballot as well.
Sometimes finding information about down-ballot elections, such as sheriff elections, can be difficult. Even though it can be overwhelming to figure out what exactly will be on your ballot, a helpful tip is to just work your way down the hierarchy of government. Because there are no federal elections Nov. 7, you can skip right to all the proposed amendments. Next is the county level; look to your county’s website for information on countywide candidates. This is also where you will find details on your polling place and local elections. You will likely have to do some internet sleuthing to research down-ballot candidates, particularly at the county, city, and school board levels.
Be sure to go to votetexas.gov to locate your nearest early voting polling location, and if you can’t vote early, know where to go on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 7. This is your chance to make your voice heard, so get ready to vote by building your sample ballot today!
Luckily, a wealth of resources are available online to help you build your sample ballot so you know how you want to vote at the polls. ATPE’s TeachtheVote.org is a good resource for voters in HD 2. On top of TeachtheVote.org, Ballotpedia and Vote411 also use your address to pull up local races and are excellent tools for helping you build your ballot. The League of Women Voters of Texas has published a downloadable guide to the 14 constitutional amendments on the ballot, including ATPE-supported Proposition 9, which authorizes cost-of-living adjustments to certain TRS annuitants. If the amendment is passed by voters, retirees will receive a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). You can view all of the 14 proposed amendments on the Texas Secretary of State’s website. You may have local races, including school board races and school bond propositions, on your ballot as well.
Sometimes finding information about down-ballot elections, such as sheriff elections, can be difficult. Even though it can be overwhelming to figure out what exactly will be on your ballot, a helpful tip is to just work your way down the hierarchy of government. Because there are no federal elections Nov. 7, you can skip right to all the proposed amendments. Next is the county level; look to your county’s website for information on countywide candidates. This is also where you will find details on your polling place and local elections. You will likely have to do some internet sleuthing to research down-ballot candidates, particularly at the county, city, and school board levels.
Be sure to go to votetexas.gov to locate your nearest early voting polling location, and if you can’t vote early, know where to go on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 7. This is your chance to make your voice heard, so get ready to vote by building your sample ballot today!