Early Voting Begins on Seven Proposed Constitutional Amendments

SAN ANGELO, TX — Early voting for the November 7 constitutional amendment election begins Monday, October 23  and ends November 3.  Hours for the first week of early voting are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the last week 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.  

There will not be voting on the weekend and voting will be conducted at the Election Office, located in the Edd B. and Frances Frink Keyes Building, 113 W. Beauregard Ave.  

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The ballot will contain 7 proposed constitutional amendments.  Sample ballots may be viewed on the Tom Green County election webpage: www.votetomgreencounty.org.

Here’s a complete list of the seven constitutional amendments on the November 7 ballot:

Proposition 1 would allow the Texas State Legislature to pass bills to provide partially-disabled veterans or their surviving spouses with a property tax exemption if the veteran's home was donated to him or her by a charity for less than market value. The tax exemption would be equal to the percentage that the veteran is partially disabled. Proposition 1 would not itself provide a tax exemption, but would authorize the legislature to create one.

Proposition 2 would make changes to the provision allowing homeowners to enter into voluntary liens with financial institutions, such as banks and credit unions, or mortgage bankers to secure home equity loans and home equity lines of credit. The measure would make four changes to the law.  The measure would be applicable to home equity loans or lines of credit made or refinanced on or after January 1, 2018.

Proposition 3 would make an exception to the requirement that appointed officials serve until their successors are qualified. As of 2017, appointed officials can remain in office past the expiration of their terms until their successors are appointed and qualified.

Proposition 4 would authorize the Texas State Legislature to require courts to inform the state attorney general of a legal challenge to the constitutionality of a state law. The measure would also allow the legislature to require a waiting period of not more than 45 days after a judge notifies the attorney general before the judge can rule a state law unconstitutional.

Proposition 5 would expand the definition of professional sports team to include certain minor league sports teams, motorsports racing teams, Professional Golf Association events, and other teams as defined by law. In 2015, voters passed Proposition 4, which authorized professional sports team charitable foundations in existence on January 1, 2016, to operate charitable raffles. Proposition 5 of 2017 would remove this requirement that foundations had been in existence in 2016. The Proposition 4 of 2015 defined professional sports teams as major league sports teams as well.

Proposition 6 would allow the state legislature to create a property tax exemption for the surviving spouses of police officers, firefighters, and other first responders killed in the line of duty. Proposition 6 would not itself provide a tax exemption, but would authorize the legislature to create one. In May 2017, the legislature passed Senate Bill 15 (SB 15) to authorize a tax exemption that would take effect if voters approve Proposition 6 on November 7, 2017. SB 15 would entitle a surviving spouse to a 100 percent exemption from taxes on the value of his or her house. SB 15 would also define terms used in Proposition 6 such as first responder, and allow surviving spouses to move into new homes with the same exemption as their houses at the time of the first responder’s death. Both Proposition 6 and SB 15 would make a surviving spouse who remarried after the first responder's death ineligible for the tax exemption.

Proposition 7 would authorize the Texas State Legislature to allow financial institutions to conduct raffles to promote savings. Proposition 7 does not itself legalize these raffles. Rather, House Bill 471 (HB 471), which the legislature approved, would allow savings promotion raffles and provide rules for them if voters approve HJR 37. HB 471 is referred to as the implementing legislation for HJR 37. If voters reject this amendment, HB 471 would not go into effect.

Photo ID requirements are the same as in this year’s previous elections. The current requirements may be reviewed on the Tom Green County election webpage or the Secretary of State’s website: www.sos.state.tx.us.