Unaware of election: how do I get informed

[Aaron and Peter]

We are new fulltimers, registered in Livingston, and we both registered to vote. However, for Tuesday's election (11/2) we didn't receive notifications of the election, let alone any information as to how to vote by mail. So, we won't be able to vote in this election. How can I make sure that I don't miss another election? 

[podwerkz]

Here ya go:

 

https://ballotpedia.org/Main_Page

[bigjim]

Ultimately it is our responsibility to be aware but like you I got busy and by the time I checked it was basically to late to request AND receive an absentee ballot. I could have applied in time using a fax but with the mail slowdown I could not get it back in time. I consider driving but it would be about 1500 miles round trip. I hate to miss a vote.  I won't elaborate on my view that at the current time it is designed to make it more difficult.

It is not Escapees responsibility to notify us but I think I remember that at one time  they did remind us. I sure would appreciate it if they would do that in the future.

Years ago I was volunteering near Dallas and missed the deadline for absentee voting so I drove down to vote in person.  I should have looked more closely as it turns out for that election there was nothing to vote on for Polk County residents.😒🙄🙃 Thats on me.

[Barbaraok]

To vote by mail, you need to go to the Secretary of State webpage and fill out the mail in ballot request.  In our case, we could (don't know if that has changed) put in for a full year because we are over 65 and just have it sent to our Livingston address to be forwarded to us.  If under 65, Escapees has a PO Box where the ballots are sent, and then forwarded back to Livingston, then sent to you.   A little combersome but doable.   

[Kirk W]

6 hours ago, Aaron and Peter said:

How can I make sure that I don't miss another election? 

Start by following the TX news. Subscribe to one of the major Texas newspapers online and keep aware of what is happening there. Do the same things for information that you would if you were physically living there. If TX is truly your domicile then subscribing to local news is an additional indication of that. For news of local interest, read the Polk County Enterprise.  Polk County Today is another good source. For state wide news, pick one of the major papers from Houston, Austin, or possibly Dallas. Texas law requires that you must apply for an absentee ballot so by being an informed voter you will also know when it is time to apply. For national elections, the Escapees always publish reminders to members. In Texas the Secretary of State handles election issues and you can apply for a ballot by mail with forms from them.

[ms60ocb]

I also was not fully aware of the Ballot issues. I wasn't aware of the state wide Propositions, I was aware of judicial candidates (and no races for Polk county) but after my daughter voted I became of the state wide Proposition. To late to request my ballot. In the future it will be a priority to be aware of those issues.

Ballotpedia is a good tool. Prepare for the March 1 Texas election.

Clay

[Blues]

I thought one of the justifications (or even the main justification) for letting people vote where they don't live is that it's the only way for them to vote in national elections, like for president.  There is no national race in this election.

As for why Escapees didn't notify people of this election, perhaps it has to do with this, from a previous discussion:

Quote

The Escapee management does encourage us to not vote on local issues such as school boards and such...

In this election, the only ballot items for Polk County residents were amendments to the Texas Constitution, and I think it could be argued that people who don't actually live in Texas shouldn't be voting on the Texas Constitution, regardless of how well informed they are.

[bigjim]

There are exceptions but I would say if a person is TX resident by " domicile" at Rainbows End they have a duty to pay attention in many issues beyond national elections.  I can understand school board and few others but something like the Constitution is a no brainer for me. Until you are a full time resident of another  state you have a responsibility to Texas. Just because you travel extensively does not negate that. Many of us will settle down in Texas eventually. That is my plan. And in my case I have been a Texas resident since I was age 5 and graduated high school about an hour from Livingston.  I would see it the same way if I was a resident of another state. In my case I am not a "play" Texan. I am very fed up with our so called leaders trying to subvert peoples right to vote. No question there is an agenda out there.

[ms60ocb]

I was a little concerned about the Propositions but reading the results this morning, I'm OK. Common sense prevailed. Proposition 6 about nursing home care ( which could effect me) passed about 9 to 1.

Clay       Left Illinois and domicile changed to Texas Feb 2015

[Kirk W]

1 hour ago, ms60ocb said:

Common sense prevailed.

As seems to pretty much always happen with these constitutional amendment elections, all 8 propositions passed and only 4 & 5 even had significant numbers of no votes. 

Quote

Turnout this year was lower than the last constitutional amendment election in 2019, with only about 9% of registered Texas voters casting a ballot. Turnout in odd-numbered years has always been low.