EARLY VOTING DOUBLED IN NORTH TEXAS FOR CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT ELECTION
North Texans turned out in larger numbers for early voting on the constitutional amendments and local issues on their ballots. Photo by Yfat Yossifor/KERA.
Early voter turnout in North Texas for this year’s constitutional amendment election doubled when compared to the last off-year election.
This year’s election consists of 14 propositions that could ultimately change the Texas constitution. There are also local bond elections.
Early voter turnout started strong this year, with turnout numbers close to meeting 2021’s numbers just in the first week. The larger turnout could be due to increased efforts pushing people to vote, said Brandon Rottinghaus, political science professor at the University of Houston.
“Counties in Texas are booming, and they’ve got more organizations out there that are really pushing voters to get out to vote,” he said. “So, they’re harnessing that growth in a way that leads to greater voter participation.”
Although this year’s ballot doesn’t include political races like president, senator or governor, the constitutional amendment election is one of the few times Texas voters have a direct say in policy changes in the state.
The last off-year election in 2021 included eight proposed amendments, but they didn’t have as much organized campaign efforts to get voters to the polls, Rottinghaus said.
This year, there are several organizations that have pumped money into advertising for specific propositions — like higher education research, a state water fund, or money for state parks — which pays off in voter participation, he said.
“You’ve got several constituencies represented in these issues and those are groups that can mobilize significantly to come out to vote,” Rottinghaus said. “That’s going to be something you see drive turnout.”
Here’s how the early voter turnout this year compared to last year, according to county voting records.
Collin County
Dallas County
Denton County
2021: About 17,600
2023: 46,156
Tarrant County
BY: MEGAN CARDONA, KERA NEWS
Early voting doubled in North Texas for this year's constitutional amendment election. Here's why | Preserving Democracy | PBS