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Ballot measures deserve better turnout
Published October 29, 2009
By the process of elimination, we can tell where 163,655 of Brazoria County’s 166,484 registered voters haven’t been since the morning hours of Oct. 19 through late afternoon Monday — at early voting sites throughout Brazoria County.
Almost $250 million in bond issues is at stake — notably $166 million and $70 million in the Brazosport and Alvin school districts, respectively — but that number apparently isn’t significant enough to get the attention of county voters. Early voting concludes Friday, with election day on Tuesday.
The ballot also includes 11 proposed amendments to the state Constitution.
The Texas Secretary of State’s Office didn’t exactly have the highest of expectations for the Nov. 3 election, predicting overall turnout of between 3 and 4 percent. Voters in Brazoria County are meeting expectations, which in this case isn’t a good thing.
Lead Elections Clerk Susan Cloudt said for the last constitutional election cycle in 2007, more than 4,000 had voted on whether to allow sales of alcohol compared with the 1.5 percent turnout (2,829) this year in the same time period.
Amendments and bond issues might not be as dramatic as weighing in for a presidential primary, next year’s gubernatorial showdown between incumbent Gov. Rick Perry and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison or even booze. But education and our tax bills deserve better than this.
Brazosport ISD voters must decide on a $166 million bond issue for infrastructure and maintenance, including new buildings for Beutel, Long and Ogg elementaries. The proposal also includes gyms for six campuses that don’t have them, in addition to other projects.
Danbury ISD — for which, unfortunately, the closest voting location is Angleton — is seeking $8.9 million in bonds to complete the second floor of the middle school, add classrooms and a cafeteria at the elementary school and build a multiuse athletic facility.
Manvel is asking its residents for $2.5 million for a building to house city offices and a new library.
Alvin ISD, meanwhile, is using “mobile voting” in 22 various temporary locations plus the regular early voting sites. The district wants $70 million to add toward previously approved bonds in a $112 million package to build two elementary schools and a middle school, and to purchase land and pay for design work for a third high school.
While we won’t know the bond’s fate until next week, the mobile voting is paying off with the highest county vote totals. While 460 votes had been cast at regular early voting sites, 550 voters had taken advantage of the mobile locations.
With more than 1,000 votes cast, Alvin ISD’s bond had far surpassed the 641 who had voted through 3 p.m. Monday afternoon at Brazosport College in Lake Jackson in the BISD bond election. Alvin is the only voting district using the mobile system.
While we applaud Alvin ISD’s use of roving polls, overall county turnout so far is shameful. There’s still two days to take advantage of the convenience of early voting. And there’s always election day.
Whether you’re a supporter of your community’s bond issue or not, these important issues deserve consideration and decisions — at the very least — on the part of the voters.
Today’s editorial was written by Glenn Krampota, features editor of The Facts.
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STILLTIME
Early voting continues through Friday at 10 sites. Poll hours are:
• 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. today and Friday
POLLING PLACES
Registered voters may cast an early ballot at any of these sites:
Angleton: Courthouse East Annex, Room 144, 1524 E. Mulberry St.
Alvin: Alvin Library, 105 S. Gordon St.
Brazoria: Precinct 4 Barn, 1001 Market St.
Clute/Lake Jackson: Brazosport College, 500 College Drive, Lake Jackson
Freeport: Freeport Library, 410 Brazosport Blvd.
Manvel: Courthouse North Annex, 7313 Corporate Drive
East Pearland: Justice of the Peace, Pct. 3, Pl. 2, Courtroom, 2436 S. Grand Blvd.
West Pearland: Westside Event Center, 2150 Countryplace Parkway
Sweeny: Community Center, 205 W. Ashley Wilson Road
West Columbia: West Columbia City Hall, 512 E. Brazos
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