While voters in many states elected Democrats, Texans passed every constitutional amendment on the ballot – including many Republican priorities.

New York City voters elected socialist Zohran Mamdani as mayor, Virginia voters elected Democrat Abigail Spanberger as governor, and California voters enabled a Democrat gerrymandering effort. 

In Texas, voters passed a slate of 17 ballot measures – including several Republican priorities, such as law and order, tax reform, and education. 

The ballot propositions advanced several Republican issues, including codifying parental rights and requiring only citizens to vote. Some raised concerns, which were more performative than substantial. Meanwhile, according to The Texas Tribune, others worried that propositions like judicial reform went too far.

Republican Gov. Greg Abbott also called a special election to fill the seat of Democrat Rep. Sylvester Turner, who died suddenly in March. The reliably Democratic Houston-area seat was still undecided at the time of publication – with Democrats Christian Menefee and Amanda Edwards locked in a dead heat, headed for a likely runoff, reported The Washington Post.

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While voter turnout is typically lower in years without federal elections, this year saw a notable increase in Texas.

Nearly 3 million Texans voted – nearly 16% of the registered voters, according to the unofficial results. This was potentially a record for off-year turnout, surpassing the previous high of 14.5% in 2023, as reported by the San Antonio Express-News.  Turnout was unexpectedly high in Dallas and Collin counties, per The Dallas Morning News.

The Ballot Measures

Texans passed all 17 ballot measures by wide margins. The Dallas Express has listed the propositions below, with approximate percentages in favor and opposing at the time of publication. 

Law And Order 

    • Proposition 3 – to allow denial of bail for certain violent offenders.
      • Passed 61.14% to 38.86%. 
    • Proposition 12 – to reform the State Commission on Judicial Conduct, increasing citizen representation on the board, transparency for misconduct, and enforcement.
      • Passed 61.9% to 38.1%.
    • Proposition 16 – to codify the requirement that only U.S. citizens can vote in elections.
      • Passed 71.95% to 28.05%. 

Education

    • Proposition 1 – to create two dedicated state college funds for the Texas State Technical College System. 
      • Passed 69.03% to 30.97%.
    • Proposition 15 – to affirm parents are the primary decision-makers for their children.
      • Passed 69.87% to 30.13%. 

Infrastructure

    • Proposition 4 – to divert up to $1 billion annually into a new Texas Water Fund for infrastructure projects. 
      • Passed 70.42% to 29.58%.
    • Proposition 14 – to create a state medical research institute, pledging $3 billion initially and $300 million annually.
      • Passed 68.57% to 31.43%. 

Tax Reform

    • Proposition 2 – to ban the state legislature from passing a capital gains tax. 
      • Passed 65.37% to 34.63%. 
    • Proposition 5 – to allow the state legislature to exempt retail animal feed from local property taxes.
      • Passed 63.61% to 36.39%.
    • Proposition 6 – to ban the state legislature from taxing securities transactions.
      • Passed 54.87% to 45.13%.  
    • Proposition 7 – to allow homestead exemptions for the surviving spouse of a veteran who died of conditions related to service.
      • Passed 86.25% to 13.75%.
    • Proposition 8 – to ban the state legislature from taxing estate, inheritance, or gifts.
      • Passed 72.22% to 27.78%.
    • Proposition 9 – to allow the state legislature to exempt up to $250,000 in income-generating property from property taxes.
      • Passed 65.04% to 34.96%. 
    • Proposition 10 – to allow the state legislature to give a temporary homestead exemption to those destroyed by fire.
      • Passed 89.28% to 10.72%. 
    • Proposition 11 – to allow the state legislature to raise the school property tax exemption for elderly and disabled homeowners to $60,000.
      • Passed 77.68% to 22.32%. 
    • Proposition 13 – to raise the school property tax exemption for homesteads to $140,000. 
      • Passed 79.41% to 20.59%. 
    • Proposition 17 – to allow the state legislature to exempt property along the southern border from tax increases resulting from border security infrastructure.
      • Passed 57.42% to 42.58%.