Today is the last day to register to vote, which means in 29 days, nine hours, and 15 minutes, we will all be hitting refresh repeatedly on our computers and/or flipping back and forth between all the TV stations covering the midterm elections.
But something else is on that ballot besides Beto or Ted, Lupe or Greg, and so on and so on. Four ballot measures directly related to how Dallas ISD will be able to continue it’s impressive and monumental spate of improvement will also appear on every Dallasite’s ballot, and we’re betting you’ve only heard of maybe one of them.
And that’s OK. There’s been a lot of information in the past few months, and a lot to digest both public school related and completely unrelated. But we’ll be taking a look at those measures and helping drill down to make sense of them this week so that before you hit the early voting location of your choice, you feel comfortable with your choice of yay or nay.
Our first piece will be published tomorrow, and will be a look at the TRE, and what its passage (or failure to pass) means for the district. We’ll look at messy, arcane, and downright outdated road that led us to the position of being asked to contribute more property tax money to the district, too.
After that, we’ll be looking at the other three propositions, explaining (with help occasionally) what they are actually asking of you, and what it will mean to the district, as well as your pocketbook.
Through the rest of the month, we’ll also be looking at other races and things you might see on the ballot, too.
Early voting begins Oct. 22, and is ridiculously easy. Seriously, if you’re laboring under the impression that taking the time to vote is arduous and time-consuming, let me explain my eleventy billion experiences with early voting: I walked into any early voting location in Dallas County, I voted, I walked out.
Seriously.
You can vote anywhere in Dallas County, and the hours are super agreeable for just about any schedule. You can even vote on the weekend. But you have to be registered first. So make sure you are, and that your address is correct — you can do that here.
Not registered? Texas still requires what is called a “wet signature,” which means you must fill out a form (no online registration). But as long as your form is postmarked today, or dropped off at the Dallas County Elections Administrator’s office, you’re good to go.
If you find that you’re still not showing up on the Secretary of State’s website, you can still vote — election officials can verify information with the county. You can find out more information about voter registration here, including the fact that if you don’t have a photo ID but are registered to vote, you can still vote. And if you’re turning 18 on or before Nov. 6, you can still register to vote.
Bethany Erickson is the education and public policy columnist for Daltxrealestate.com and the Director of Audience Engagement for Candy’s Media Group. She is a member of the Online News Association, the Education Writers Association, and the Society of Professional Journalists, and is the 2018 NAREE Gold winner for best series. Contact her at [email protected].
