Reprint from the Progress Times - May 4, 2007
©Progress Times 2007 - All Rights Reserved

Early Voting Continues Through Tuesday

Early voting for school board and city races began this past Monday and continues through next Tuesday, May 8. Early voting dates and hours vary slightly, depending on the school district or city.

Following are the early voting times and locations for area school districts and cities holding elections this year. Polling places for election day, May 12 will be published next Friday, after early voting ends.

City of Mission

City of Mission early voting continues today and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the last two days of early voting, May 7 and 8, will have extended hours from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mission City Hall is the early voting site for the city elections.

Mission CISD

The early voting for Mission CISD is somewhat different from the city’s schedule. Remaining dates for MCISD early voting are today, Monday and Tuesday (May 7 and 8) only. No voting will take place this Saturday. Note that the hours differ also. MCISD early voting hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.

Early voters in the MCISD board election have a choice of two polling sites – Veterans Memorial High School or Alton Elementary School.

Sharyland ISD

Sharyland schools early voting schedule matches the City of Mission. This week early voting hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. with the polls open both today and Saturday, May 5. Early voting continues Monday and Tuesday with the hours extended from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Mission Fire Station #2, 1804 N. Shary Rd. (located next to Bannworth Park), is the early voting site.

La Joya ISD

Early voting for La Joya ISD board positions also excludes Saturday, May 5. Only three days remain for early voting in the district’s elections – today, Monday and Tuesday (May 7 and 8). The hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.

La Joya Schools offers three early voting locations, including Our Lady Queen of Angels Catholic Church Pavilion, 815 South Leo Ave., La Joya; Sullivan City Fire Station, 500 Cenizo, Sullivan City; and Lloyd M. Bentsen Elementary School, 2916 Mile 3 (corner of 3 Mile Line and La Homa Rd.), Mission.

City of La Joya

The La Joya City election hours differ from the LJISD hours.

City of La Joya early voting hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and Saturday, and are extended Monday and Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The city has just one early voting location – Our Lady Queen of Angels Catholic Church Pavilion.

City of Palmhurst

The City of Palmhurst early voting schedule is the same as Sharyland ISD and La Joya ISD. Today and Saturday, hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, May 7 and 8, hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Early voting site is Faith Baptist Church, 4301 N. Shary Rd., Palmhurst.

Sullivan City

Early voting hours for Sullivan City will be 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. today. They are closed Saturday. Then early voting continues Monday and Tuesday with the hours extended from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Tuesday, May 8 is the last day of early voting for all local elections.

Early voting will be conducted at the Sullivan City Fire Station, 500 Cenizo.

No Elections

Voters in Palmview, Alton and Granjeno do not have city elections this year.

Constitutional Amendment

Election officials report that many voters are arriving at the polls unprepared to cast a vote in the Texas Constitutional Amendment Election, causing delays in voting. The amendment is listed on the ballot as Proposition 1. The Texas legislature approved this measure, known as SJR-13, to go before the voters.

Proposition 1 (SJR-13)

Proposition 1, or SJR 13, would amend the Texas Constitution to authorize the legislature to adjust the public school ad valorem tax or tax rates for taxpayers who are aged 65 or older, or are disabled, and who are owners of an exempted homestead. The amendment would thereby allow the legislature to provide tax relief to such elderly or disabled taxpayers who did not receive tax relief as a result of the school tax rate reduction passed in the 79th Legislature, 3rd called session.

The proposed amendment will appear on the ballot as follows:

"The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to provide for a reduction of the limitation on the total amount of ad valorem taxes that may be imposed for public school purposes on the residence homesteads of the elderly or disabled to reflect any reduction in the rate of those taxes for the 2006 and 2007 tax."

Election day, Saturday, May 12, will be the final opportunity to vote in any of the local elections. The polls will be open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on that day for all elections.