Summary: As the 08 November 2022 General Election nears, Willow Park Civics will post a collection of articles that assist voters in their election responsibilities. All election articles are archived at Willow Park Civics > Voter Support > Current Elections 2022 > 08 November 2022 General Elections
Latest Update: Wednesday, 12 October, 2022
Current Articles
How poll watching will be different in upcoming Texas elections, Big County News , 21 September 2022, Excerpt
Texas Secretary of State John B. Scott shared details about a campaign aimed at educating voters before the November elections.
This comes the same day as National Voter Registration Day, a holiday that’s been recognized for at least a decade now. According to the National Voter Registration Day website, nearly 4.7 million voters have registered to vote on the holiday to date.
What is different since the last major election? The campaign comes about a year after Gov. Greg Abbott signed a controversial elections bill into law. Senate Bill 1 includes a ban on 24-hour polling places, increased ID requirements, restrictions on drive-thru voting and limits voting by mail.
WPC Research. Texas Senate Bill SB1 (87th Leg., 2nd C.S., 2021)
SB 1 took effect on December 2, 2021. Any elections ordered on or after December 2, 2021, must adhere to the changes in law made by SB 1
Texas Legislature Online
Changes with poll watchers. When you go to vote, there may be more oversight this time around. Under SB 1, Texas’ new election law passed in 2021, poll watchers will have more flexibility to keep their eyes on voters. Both the Republican and Democratic parties are holding trainings for folks interested in becoming a poll watcher, but those workers must get a Certificate of Completion from the Texas Secretary of State’s Office through the program.
Why does Texas have so many elections, and why do few people vote in them? , Texas Tribune, 15 September 2022, Excerpt
Small government via a lot of government
Texas was founded with one of the country’s most restrictive constitutions, imposing strict limits and rules on what the government can do. It’s the state’s original mistrust of government that, ironically, fuels the long list of ballot items voters face.
Putting as many offices on the ballot as possible was meant to ensure citizens had a say in their elected officials on every level of the government, said Bob Stein, a political science professor at Rice University.
“There was once a very progressive movement [in Texas], one that didn’t necessarily trust centralized government,” Stein said.
For example, Texas is one of a handful of states that choose judges through partisan elections, which means every judicial race has a primary election before a general election (and potentially runoff elections in between). Voters elect members of the state Supreme Court, the Court of Criminal Appeals, the Court of Appeals, district courts, county courts and justice of the peace courts.
Current Archived Articles
Comptroller, railroad commissioner, lieutenant governor: What do Texas state officials actually do? Texas Tribune 15 September 2022
These 10 Texas donors gave over $36.8 million, The Center Square, 27 September 2022
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