During the May 8th election many voters were unaware that they could vote in the election because their voter registration card did not show the Hays Trinity designation
Note: Jim McMeans of the Citizens Alliance for Responsible Development
( www.hayscard.org ) is passing the note below around so that more folks are aware of their voting eligibility in the five single-member districts that comprise the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District.
Very sadly, a grand total of 1,985 people voted in the May 8 groundwater district election in which three new board members were elected in Districts 1, 3 and 5. County Elections Administrator Joyce Cowan estimates there are 13,441 eligible voters within the those three districts, and about 25,000 total eligible voters with Districts 2 and 4 added.
Cowan says her office is working with the HTGCD staff and board (512.858.9253) to minimize confusion in future elections. "We're catching the heat but that's ok," Cowan said. According to Cowan, it is the responsibility of the groundwater district to forward correct voter address information to the elections office. "What I'm finding are things like a road that's a boundary line without the block numbers . . . (like) FM 165 in the Henly area and Loop 165. People don't put loop on their resident address. FM 165 is in District 1 and Loop 165 is in 4."
Send your comments and news tips to roundup.editor@gmail.com, to Mr. McMeans at JRMcMeans@msn.com, to Elections Administrator Joyce Cowan at joyce@co.hays.tx.us, or click on the "comments" button at the bottom of the story
Click on image to enlarge
Hello Friends,
If you live in western Hays County, you are probably within the boundaries of the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District. The HTGCD is divided into five districts with a Board member (five total) elected by the registered voters within each district. During the May 8th election three new Board members were elected - Districts 1, 3 and 5. Board members serve for two years unless re-elected. A detailed map of the five HTGCD districts is attached with this email. PLEASE OPEN THE MAP AND VERIFY THAT YOU LIVE IN ONE OF THE FIVE DISTRICTS. Use the zoom button to enlarge the map.
During the May 8th election many voters were unaware that they could vote in the election because their voter registration card did not show the Hays Trinity designation. PLEASE PULL OUT YOUR VOTER REGISTRATION CARD AND SEE IF IT CONTAINS THE DESIGNATION "WATER - HT1, HT2, HT3, HT4, OR HT5.
If you live within the boundaries of the HTGCD and your voter registration card does not show the "WATER - HT#" designation, PLEASE SEND AN EMAIL TO JOYCE@CO.HAYS.TX.US AND LET HER KNOW ABOUT THE MISSING HAYS TRINITY DISTRICT DESIGNATION. This email will go directly to Joyce Cowan, Hays County Elections Administrator, who is responsible for the accuracy of the voter registration card issued to each of you.
PLEASE FORWARD THIS EMAIL AND THE MAP TO YOUR FRIENDS AND EMAIL CONTACTS. YOUR HELP IS APPRECIATED!! THANKS. Jim McMeans 512-847-6578
9 comments:
First clue about better turn out - don't have the vote in May. The District should set their elections to run with the general election in November.
Other than that - apathy in general is the rule of the day. Even with the seriousness of the election, no matter which side you come down on, the election held in May just will not turn out any but the hard core and politically plugged in types.
Also, as a word of advice = make the voting locations more convenient to coincide with other elections being held the same day. For instance, the elections for DSISD were the same day and at the Administrative Bldg here in Dripping Springs. There were a good number of people who were frustrated by not being able to vote for both elections at the same location, but instead had to drive out of their way to the polling location in Driftwood.
Thanks for your observations, Jon. The elections office says eight elections were held across the county on May 8.
Imagine 8 sets of jurisdictions and boundaries overlapping the county's voting precincts and you're bound to get: Chaos and confusion.
Joyce is keenly aware of the problem and would like to see at least some of it addressed during redistricting at the county level.
I wouldn't call it outright disenfranchisement, but the confusion is having that very effect for some voters.
Having elections in May can “benefit” some issues and candidates that would otherwise lose in November. The ones that gain from this date are the candidates and issues that are not well known or covered by the major media. Some issues and candidates are purposely scheduled for the May election that would fail miserably if well scrutinized in a November election. You can read whatever you want into that analysis.
Doesn't the HTGCD contract with Joyce Cowan and the County to hold their elections? If so, it sounds like the problems need to be addressed with HTGCD.
I can tell you from having worked at Environmental Health for six years with the GIS folks, the maps are only as accurate as the information that is given. The maps reflect information that was given to the County GIS department by the Groundwater District almost ten years ago when they were formed and were having elections. I heard through one of the many conversations recently (or read it on this blog) that the information is based on census data, which is probably right. However, you have to remember that the last census was - ten years ago. So, the information itself is now dated, and lots has changed demographically in this County over the last ten years, especially in Pct 4, and even more especially in the District that Mark Key won by the addition of Belterra, Highpointe, and Legacy Trails in the sense of having more density.
What I was suggesting in my original post was that combining polling spots with other elections would be not only more fair to all candidates, but also more convenient for those who do get out and vote without making it more complex and irritating to find the polling location. What I would like to know is who selected the polling locations for the Groundwater District's elections? Was it the County Elections office or was it the Groundwater District? Or is it more complicated by some State mandate as to where the polling locations HAVE to be located in relationship to the District that is having elections? Fair questions that deserve an explanation for future reference to help prevent future confusion, and maybe help plan better polling for elections.
The district does indeed contract out their election to Hays county. Ultimately the district has the final say in polling locations since it is the "customer".
Correction - I meant to say Ledgestone, not Legacy Trails in my previous post as far as being a subdivision that has had a large impact demographically on this precinct over the last ten years.
How lame. I don't recall my voter registration card providing anything specific about a district - only the county precinct to vote in.
If the districts run their own elections, then it is inevitable that there will be multiple polling locations unless the districts collaborate ahead of time. This is systemic architectural issue as a result of creation of all of these districts. This is not a county issue. Perhaps one solution is to start getting rid of districts. If you allow the proliferation of independent districts such as MUDs, groundwater, school district, "management" districts, etc. then having multiple elections and polling places is the natural fallout.
Have you looked at your card? Or are you just trying to remember what it has? I'm looking at mine right now and on the right side of the card it has 10 boxes, and 8 of them are filled with things like USREP, STSEN, STREP, Commissioner, JP, City, School and yes, Water district. Precinct number is listed on the left side of the card, the side with your signature.
It's not that the districts "run their own elections" but that they don't enter into joint agreements with other districts, or entities. If they did, there would be more sharing of polling sites.
Post a Comment