Proposed Texas amendments create a chance for change

On Nov. 5 of this year, ten amendments for the Texas Constitution, approved by the state Legislature, will be up for election. If a proposition receives a majority vote, it will be adopted as an official amendment.

Although voter registration has been closed since Oct. 7 for the Nov. 5 elections, registered voters were able to begin voting on Monday, Oct. 28.

One of the propositions, Proposition 7, would allow the General Land Office and State Board of Education to transfer $600 million to the Available School Fund each year in comparison to the historical $300 million.

If a high schooler is registered to vote, they need to bring a form of identification to their polling site: appropriate identification includes a driver’s license, a Texas election identification certificate issued by the DPS, or a U.S. passport (a complete list can be viewed on dallasnews.com).

Another proposition, Proposition 6, allows the state Legislature to increase the bond amount allocated to the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas by $3 billion. In addition, Proposition 8 allows for the formation of the flood infrastructure fund to aid in the financing of drainage, flood mitigation, and flood control projects.

Before election day,     votetexas.gov recommends that registered voters use the site’s “My Voter Page” to discover available voting precinct locations. On election day, the polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

“It is important to vote because if we do not actively participate in our democracy we do not have a government that represents the people,” senior James Hayek said. “It is our duty as citizens to participate in our country’s politics and promote the American ideal of democracy.”