Opinion
Editorial: Glitch does little to spoil election
The elections are past, and for the most part, the process went well.
The one hiccup was the lack of sufficient numbers of ballots for the constitutional amendment election. This surprising development came from the failure of a state formula’s ability to predict voter turnout, not because of a problem with local officials.
The formula probably should have been adequate. After all, who votes in constitutional amendment elections?
But voters in Joshua had other measures — local measures of importance to its residents — that improved turnout, and misinformation about the amendment election stirred other voters who might have skipped the election to come vote against measures they feared would lead to increases in property taxes or the creation of a state income tax.
Rio Vista voters approved a bond issue that will enable the school district to build much-needed facilities. Failure to approve the measure would have created serious difficulties for the district after the Legislature mandated that students in public schools take four years of science and math in high school.
Science classes require laboratories with special equipment, something many smaller school districts don’t have and can’t convert existing space into. But, as often happens, the Legislature failed to provide funding to help districts accomplish this new requirement.
Rio Vista voters made the decision to invest in the education of their children. The decision was difficult because of the effect on tax rates, but they are to be applauded for their choice.
Rio Vista voters may have also put an end to the seemingly never-ending saga over whether to allow package liquor sales in the city. The dire predictions of the opposition may or may not come to fruition, but the issue seems settled.
Taxpayers foot the cost of these elections, whether Rio Vista residents or county residents, and the prospect that more elections would take place meant more expense for taxpayers, an expense that some could well argue is unnecessary.
Some of the previous elections were invalidated because of legal issues involving voting laws. This does not necessarily indicate the presence of widespread voter fraud, but it does point up the necessity of ensuring that voters adhere to the laws.
Congratulations also go to Joshua for approving bond issues that will improve the quality of life and safety in the community and to Keene voters for understanding and approving a complicated tax election that will ultimately provide the school district with almost $800,000 in funds it could have lost out on.
Information flowed well, problems were efficiently solved, and the voters had their say. If the rest of the electorate had turned out even though they deemed the election insignificant, it would have been an unqualified success.
This editorial is the opinion of the Cleburne Times-Review
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