All three candidates running for the District I seat on the Houston Independent School District board of education have completed Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey. The survey asks candidates questions aimed to help voters learn why candidates are running and what they hope to achieve in office. Three candidates—incumbent Elizabeth Santos, Matias Kopinsky, and Janette Garza…
On Oct. 21, 2021, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott appointed John Scott as secretary of state. Scott replaces Ruth Ruggero Hughs, who resigned in May of 2021 after the Senate Nominating Commission refused to take up her nomination. Texas is one of nine states where secretaries of state are appointed by the governor. Scott’s appointment will…
On Oct. 18, the Texas State Legislature voted to refer to the ballot a constitutional amendment that would increase the homestead exemption for school district property taxes from $25,000 to $40,000. Voters will decide the measure on the May 2022 ballot. It would take effect for the 2022 tax year. The Legislative Budget Board estimated…
Republican Brian E. Harrison was sworn in to the Texas House of Representatives on Oct. 12. He was elected to the chamber after winning a special runoff election on Sept. 28. His term will last until January 2023. To keep hold of his seat, Harrison will have to run for re-election in 2022 for a…
Austin voters will decide Proposition A on Nov. 2. The citizen initiative would establish minimum police staffing requirement that there to be at least two police officers for every 1,000 residents of Austin; add an additional 40 hours of police training each year; and provide police with additional compensation for being proficient in non-English languages,…
Special elections were held on Sept. 28 for District 10 and District 118 of the Texas House of Representatives. The winners of these special elections will serve until January 2023. In District 10, Brian Harrison defeated fellow Republican John Wray in a general election runoff. Harrison and Wray earned 55.4% and 44.6% of the vote,…
The voter registration deadline for the November 2, 2021 election in Texas is Oct. 4. Prospective voters can request a postage-paid voter registration form online or complete the form online and return it to the county voter registrar. Applications are also available at a variety of locations including the county voter registrar’s office, the secretary…
Special elections are being held on Sept. 28 for District 10 and District 118 of the Texas House of Representatives. The winner of these special elections will serve until January 2023. In District 10, Republicans Brian Harrison and John Wray are running in a general election runoff. Harrison and Wray advanced from the general election…
Here’s a summary of the week’s noteworthy redistricting news from Colorado, Connecticut, Iowa, and Texas. Colorado: The Colorado Independent Redistricting Commission staff released a proposed congressional district map on Sept. 3. This is the first proposed map the commission released since the U.S. Census Bureau distributed block-level data from the 2020 census to states on…
Austin voters will decide a ballot measure related to police staffing, training requirements, and demographic representation in hiring on November 2, 2021. The Texas Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that the city council had to use the caption drafted by the measure’s sponsor, Save Austin Now, rather than the language approved by the city council…