The Texas Election Code is far too complicated. Election dates are not uniform, leading to voters becoming fatigued and disenfranchised. How many citizens will actually participate in six elections in one year? In some elections voters are asked to vote in more than one location for entities that do not contract with the county. How can qualified election workers be expected to work that many elections, and at what cost?
Year after year voter turnout in local elections is terrible. The majority of voters rely on political party identification to help select their candidates, yet local elections do not allow party affiliations on the ballot. The candidates also lose out on the assistance of their parties throughout the political process.
Even Early Voting and Election Day in the same election are not uniform. They are run under two different sections of the Code, potentially compromising auditability, parity between political parties, and the public trust.
Texas needs to simplify its elections to make them more secure. We may not be able to get all of these accomplished in the 89th Legislative Session, but we must begin to move in this direction.
Top Priority: Eliminate Countywide Polling
There is a constant tug of war between convenience and security in elections. Our fast-paced instant gratification society is eroding the sanctity of our election process. Our nation was founded on the ability to choose who represents you in government and it is essential that your choice, your vote is protected.
Texas has 254 very different counties and many of them have not yet adopted countywide polling, and a few have managed to conduct countywide polling in a positive way. Overall, however, countywide polling has produced unintended consequences. Texas should move away from countywide polling and toward precinct-based polling for Election Day and ultimately for Early Voting as well.
Precinct-based polling improves accuracy, enhances community engagement, helps local candidates reach their voters, makes auditing more efficient and precise, and protects the secrecy of the ballot.
Close the Primaries
Republican candidates should be chosen by Republicans. Democratic candidates should be chosen by Democrats. If candidates run with an “R” or a “D” next to their name it should mean something.
We must stop allowing opposing parties to sabotage primaries by voting for the candidate most like that opposing party.
All Partisan
Non-partisan government is a myth, just like non-partisan media. Let’s stop playing games and tell the truth.
First of all, voters will benefit from knowing a candidate’s party affiliation. Local candidates typically don’t have the resources for robust advertising and experienced campaign managers. They struggle to reach their voters and their voters struggle to find enough information to decide which candidate to choose. Most do, however, know where each party stands on issues like fiscal responsibility and parental rights. Voters would also benefit from knowing which party has been controlling their cities and school districts, which party’s policies are leading to an increase in their quality of life and which are leading to its decline.
Candidates would benefit from the party apparatus. Political parties could take a more active role in local campaigns, honestly and transparently instead of behind the scenes. Local candidates would also be able to run in elections with political party parity. Imagine being a candidate who votes in Republican primaries who is running as a conservative. Now imagine that your Elections Administrator appoints election workers who have all voted in every Democratic primary election. Those election workers could all have great integrity, but how confident would you be that your election would be fair? If the election was partisan, the Elections Administrator would have to appoint at least one Republican per polling location.
All Entities Must Contract with the County
Uniformity in when, where, and how the elections are run would improve accuracy, and uniformity in who runs them would increase transparency and accountability. When local entities hold their own elections, voters can struggle to find information about polling locations, voting times, and even who is on the ballot. Local entities can hand-pick election workers and manipulate polling locations to produce outcomes in their favor, at the expense of taxpayers.
Right now a County Hospital District can run its own bond election with millions of tax-payer dollars at stake. With very little oversight they can choose election workers they know are favorable to the bond and hold the election at the main county hospital. These election workers may have little to no training or experience. The hospital’s location will inevitably be inconvenient for most voters, but not for all of the doctors and hospital staff who will benefit from the bond. Most voters may not even know the election is taking place. They may have to vote in one location for City Council and School Board and then have to drive to the hospital to vote once again. Special purpose districts keep growing in number and size, they cannot be allowed this kind of free reign in their elections.
If all elections are run by the county, either by an Elections Administrator or County Clerk, the citizens benefit from an experienced staff and an infrastructure that is in place to keep elections accurate and secure.
Uniform Dates
Many voters in Texas were asked to vote 5 times in 2024, in some cases 6 times! That was a Primary in March with a following Runoff in June, a local Joint Election in May and Runoff in July, and a General Election. In areas with local races on the General Election ballot in November, they could have a Runoff in December as well. In May, mail-in ballots were circulating for the local elections and Primary Runoff at the same time.
We MUST end this chaos that leads to voter confusion and exhaustion.
All candidates at all levels of government should run through a partisan, closed Primary in March, and then a General Election in November. State and federal elections could be held in even years, local elections could be held in odd years. The only exceptions would be Primary Runoffs or Special Elections. Voters would get used to voting every March and November. Fewer elections means lower costs, less stress on election offices, and higher voter turnout.
Increase voter turnout and decrease voter burnout by merging local elections into the primary and general elections.