The Dallas County Commissioners Court authorized a constitutional amendment special election to be held this November. Citizens will have the opportunity to vote on 14 constitutional amendments passed during the Texas 88th Legislature.
Gov. Greg Abbott issued a proclamation on August 9 ordering a statewide special election date for November 7. The election will give voters the opportunity to either adopt or reject a total of 14 propositions that would amend the Texas Constitution, according to the proclamation.
Propositions to be voted on in the upcoming election include placing a “temporary limit on the maximum appraised value of real property,” creating the Texas water fund and Texas energy fund, and increasing the retirement age for state justices and judges.
In addition to setting the local special election, the Commissioners Court approved an addendum authorizing the appointment of Michael Scarpello, the Dallas County elections administrator, as the early voting clerk, and Megan Coker and Mike Slayton, respectively, as the presiding judge and alternate presiding judge of the Central Counting Station.
The Dallas County Elections Department projects that holding the election will cost about $2.9 million, with political subdivisions offsetting $300,000.
The addendum also designated 62 voting locations across the county that will be available for early voting beginning on October 23.
Following the approval of the order for the special election, the commissioners discussed a related item on the agenda pertaining to the modification of the county’s polling place program and early voting locations.
The Vote Center Advisory Committee made three recommendations to the Commissioners Court: increase the number of polling centers used in low-turnout elections from 369 to 374, increase the number of early voting vote centers for both low and high-turnout elections from 47 to 63, and utilize 460 election day vote centers for high-turnout elections.
Commissioner Theresa Daniel requested this item on the agenda be held until the court’s September 5 meeting to allow time to review recommendations, make changes, and ensure that the distribution of early voting locations is more “equalized.”
Commissioner John Wiley Price agreed to pull this particular item until the next meeting, adding that the recommended low-turnout model is an “issue.”
County Judge Clay Jenkins suggested an amendment that would add 29 additional high-turnout election polling centers in Commissioner Price’s district, which would cost $150,000.
The commissioners agreed and adopted this amendment unanimously.
