VOTE | 2023 Texas Constitutional Amendment & general election guide
On Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, the polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Voters across the state of Texas are heading to the polls on Tuesday, November 7 for the 2023 Texas Constitutional Amendment Election as well as several local municipal and school elections. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Here's information about where to vote, along with what you'll need to bring to the polls. We're also taking a look at how to vote by mail if you qualify.
Voters in Jefferson, Orange, Chambers and Liberty Counties may vote at ANY polling location in their county while voters in other Southeast Texas counties will need to vote at their assigned precinct polling location. Scroll down for information on each county.
On election night all results will be posted at 12NewsNow.com/elections. Below is the information you need to know as you prepare to cast your vote and head to the polls.
Keep reading for everything you need to know to cast your vote in November.
Election Day Info Voting locations, sample ballots, key things to know for Election Day
Voting Locations & Sample Ballots
Jefferson County: Election Day voting locations | Sample Ballot
Liberty County: Election Day voting locations | Sample Ballot
Orange County: Election Day voting locations | Sample Ballot
Hardin County: Election Day voting locations | Sample Ballot
Chambers County: Election Day voting locations | Sample Ballot
Jasper County: Election Day voting locations | Sample Ballot
Tyler County: Election Day voting locations | Sample Ballot
Newton County: Election Day voting locations | Sample Ballot
ELECTION RESULTS: CLICK HERE on November 7 after the polls close at 7 p.m.
Wondering if you are registered to vote? You can visit the Secretary of State website to find out.
Voter Identification
Make sure you bring one of these accepted forms of identification with you when you go to vote:
- Texas Driver License issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)
- United States Passport (book or card)
- United States Military Identification Card containing the person’s photograph
- United States Citizenship Certificate containing the person’s photograph
- Texas Handgun License issued by DPS
- Texas Election Identification Certificate issued by DPS
- Texas Personal Identification Card issued by DPS
Voting by mail
If you are voting by mail your ballot must be received at your county clerk or elections administrator by November 7, 2023 at 7 p.m.
To be eligible to vote early by mail in Texas, you must:
- be 65 years or older;
- be sick or disabled;
- be out of the county on election day and during the period for early voting by personal appearance; or
- be expected to give birth within three weeks before or after Election Day; or
- be confined in jail, but otherwise eligible.
You will need to obtain an "Application for Ballot by Mail," or ABBM, from your county's website or elections office.
You can print an application, request one be mailed to you and get more instructions here.
A new Texas law requires that your ABBM include your driver's license number or the last four digits of your social security number.
Because the number must match the state's database it's a good idea to include both numbers on your application.
Your ABBM application must be received, not postmarked, by Friday October 27, 2023.
Jefferson County Fifteen contested races in the county
Voters in Jefferson County will be deciding on everything from city council members to creating a new fire department.
Jefferson County: Election Day voting locations | Sample Ballot
Beaumont residents are voting on several city charter amendments including one that would double the length of council member terms to 4-year staggered terms and introduce term limits.
Voters in the Hamshire area will be voting on creating Emergency Services District Five to provide fire and emergency response in the area.
In Port Neches, Mike Beaty and Jim Wallace are facing off for Place Three on city council.
Two contested races are happening in the Port Neches-Groves school district. Brenda Duhon and Melanie Plaia Miller are running for Place Six Trustee while Jake Lefort and Jordyn Collida are vying for Place Seven.
Here's some of the other races to watch in Jefferson County...
- Jefferson County ESD 3 Prop A - Adoption of a 1.5% sales tax
- Jefferson County ESD 4 Prop A - Adoption of a 1.5% sales tax
- Water Control & Improvement Dist. 10 - $3.7M bond for wastewater treatment
- Nome Prop A - Adopt a .5% sales tax increase to 1.5%
- Port Neches Prop A - Reauthorize a .25% sales tax, lasting four years, for street maintenance
- Sabine Pass ISD Prop A - Ratify a $1.05135 per $100 tax rate for maintenance & operations
Liberty County Following one contested county race
In Liberty County there is one race we're following in this election.
Liberty County: Election Day voting locations | Sample Ballot
Voters in Liberty County's Emergency Services District Three, in Dayton, will be voting on the adoption of a .5% sales tax to fund fire and emergency services.
Orange County Three city and school tax and bond propositions
In Orange County voters will be deciding on funding economic development and schools in the form of sales and property taxes and a bond issue.
Orange County: Election Day voting locations | Sample Ballot
City of West Orange voters are deciding whether to adopt a .25% sales tax to fund economic development.
Little-Cypress CISD voters will be deciding on the approval of a $1.0612 property tax rate to fund maintenance and operations.
Residents in the Orangefield Independent School District will be voting on a $42.9 million bond to build more classroom space and make site and security improvements throughout the district.
Hardin County Two school board races and an ESD proposition
In Hardin County voters will be deciding on two Emergency Services District propositions and a school bond issue.
Hardin County: Election Day voting locations | Sample Ballot
Voters in the Silsbee Independent School District will decide whether or not to approve an $84.5 million bond to add more buildings and school buses to the district.
Residents in western Hardin County will decide on creating Emergency Services District Seven to fund and support the firefighters of the Thicket-Votaw Volunteer Fire Department.
In Emergency Services District Three, voters will decide if they want to approve a 2% sales tax.
Chambers County One school district tax election
In Chambers County the only election we're following is in the East Chambers Independent School District election.
Chambers County: Election Day voting locations | Sample Ballot
Voters in the East Chambers school district will be deciding on whether to approve a $1.1142 per $100 property tax rate.
Jasper County No local elections
In Jasper County there are no local elections this time. Voters will only be voting in the Texas Constitutional Amendment Election.
Jasper County: Election Day voting locations | Sample Ballot
Tyler County Council races in Ivanhoe and Woodville
In Tyler County voters in Woodville and Ivanhoe are voting in a couple of city council races.
Tyler County: Election Day voting locations | Sample Ballot
Woodville voters are choosing who will fill the place three alderman's spot with incumbent Clifton "Cliff" Wright facing Paula M. Jones and Elizabeth Grammer.
In Ivanhoe voters are choosing from among four candidates to fill three council seats. Bob Stoneman is facing three incumbents including Justin Gregory, David Herrington and Joe D. McWhorter.
Newton County Burkeville ISD bond election
Voters in northern Newton County will be voting on a school bond in Burkeville.
Newton County: Election Day voting locations | Sample Ballot
Burkeville ISD voters are choosing whether or not to approve a $5 million bond for the construction and renovation of buildings in the district as well as new school buses.
Texas Constitutional Amendments Voters will decide on 14 amendments
Texans will decide the fate of 14 constitutional amendments recently sent to the ballot by state lawmakers during the Nov. 7 election.
A few of the 14 propositions in the Texas Constitutional Amendment Election seem to be what many are talking about.
Some of the amendments getting a lot of attention in Southeast Texas are...
- Prop 4- Raising the homestead exemption for homeowners from $40,000 to $100,000
- Prop 6 - Water infrastructure
- Prop 8 - Broadband infrastructure
- Prop 9 - Granting retired teachers cost-of-living raises
Proposition 4 – HJR 2 "The constitutional amendment to authorize the legislature to establish a temporary limit on the maximum appraised value of real property other than a residence homestead for ad valorem tax purposes; to increase the amount of the exemption from ad valorem taxation by a school district applicable to residence homesteads from $40,000 to $100,000; to adjust the amount of the limitation on school district ad valorem taxes imposed on the residence homesteads of the elderly or disabled to reflect increases in certain exemption amounts; to except certain appropriations to pay for ad valorem tax relief from the constitutional limitation on the rate of growth of appropriations; and to authorize the legislature to provide for a four-year term of office for a member of the board of directors of certain appraisal districts."
What it means: Texas has some of the highest property taxes in the nation. Earlier this year, Texas lawmakers approved a $12.7 billion package of property tax cuts that needs voter approval in order to take effect.
The package would send $7.1 billion to school districts so they can lower their property tax rates. School district taxes make up the bulk of a Texas property owner's tax bill. The amendment would also raise the state's school district homestead exemption — or the slice of a home's value that can't be taxed to pay for public schools — from $40,000 to $100,000, at a cost of $5.6 billion.
The amendment also includes other tax reforms, including a temporary limit on appraisals for commercial, mineral and residential properties that don't receive a homestead exemption that are worth less than $5 million. If voters approve the idea, appraisal districts could not raise the taxable value of those properties by more than 20% each year for the next three years. The limit would expire in 2026 unless lawmakers and voters decide to extend it.
Proposition 6 – SJR 75 "The constitutional amendment creating the Texas water fund to assist in financing water projects in this state."
What it means: If approved, this resolution would create a new special fund in the state treasury outside of the general revenue fund, endowed with a $1 billion down payment. The fund would be administered by the Texas Water Development Board to support a wide range of projects including fixing Texas’ aging, deteriorating pipes, acquiring more water sources and mitigating water loss.
A portion of the fund would have to be used for water infrastructure projects in rural areas as well as for water conservation strategies and water loss projects. At least 25% of the fund would be used for the New Water Supply Fund for Texas, which will support projects to increase the state’s water supply through, for example, marine desalination and treating “produced water,” which comes from the ground during the oil fracking process.
The new fund would be created Jan. 1, 2024.
Proposition 8 – HJR 125 "The constitutional amendment creating the broadband infrastructure fund to expand high-speed broadband access and assist in the financing of connectivity projects."
What it means: Texas lawmakers made an investment in broadband development by passing a bill which would create the Texas broadband infrastructure fund — pending approval of this resolution.
With the passage of this resolution, $1.5 billion would be allocated to expand internet availability in Texas, where some 7 million people currently lack access. These dollars would help pay to develop and finance broadband and telecommunications services as well as 911 services. The fund will also provide matching funds with federal money from the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment Program.
Proposition 9 – HJR 2 "The constitutional amendment authorizing the 88th Legislature to provide a cost-of-living adjustment to certain annuitants of the Teacher Retirement System of Texas."
What it means: During the regular session, lawmakers passed Senate Bill 10, which would provide some retired Texas teachers with cost-of-living raises to their monthly pension checks. For some, this is the first raise they will see in almost 20 years.
RELATED: 'We need the general public to support' | Retired Southeast Texas teachers rally for Proposition 9
But to afford these raises, lawmakers need to ask voters to allow them to use $3.3 billion from the general revenue fund and move it to the retired teachers fund.
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