Election Day 2019: How Texans voted on 10 ballot propositions

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Wednesday, November 6, 2019
Yes, there's an election day coming and it's important
With so much focus on the 2020 presidential election, it can be easy to overlook 2019's local and state elections, with ballot measures that can affect your day-to-day life.

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Entering Election Day on Tuesday, Texas voters were faced with 10 statewide propositions to consider.

The following are the constitutional amendment proposals on the ballot, and how voters leaned with almost all of the votes reporting:

Proposition 1: Judges serving more than one appointed or elected municipality

'No' votes outpaced 'Yes' votes, 66% to 34%

"Constitutional amendment permitting a person to hold more than one office as a municipal judge at the same time."

If passed this would allow elected municipal judges to serve in more than one jurisdiction. Currently, only judges who are appointed to their posts are allowed to do this.

Proposition 2: Additional Texas Water Development Board bonds

'Yes' votes outpaced 'No' votes, 64% to 36%

"The constitutional amendment providing for the issuance of additional general obligation bonds by the Texas Water Development Board in an amount not to exceed $200 million to provide financial assistance for the development of certain projects in economically distressed areas.

This would permit the water development board to use bonds for projects in areas of the state in greater financial need.

Proposition 3: Temporary property tax exemption for disaster areas

'Yes' votes outpaced 'No' votes, 86% to 14%

"The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to provide for a temporary exemption from ad valorem taxation of a portion of the appraised value of certain property damaged by a disaster."

If there's an official disaster declaration, this would allow the legislature to suspend property taxes in those areas.

Proposition 4: Prohibiting state income tax on residents

'Yes' votes outpaced 'No' votes, 77% to 23%

"The constitutional amendment prohibiting the imposition of an individual income tax, including a tax on an individual's share of partnership and unincorporated association income."

This aims to make it more difficult for future legislatures to enact a personal income tax in the state.

Proposition 5: Sporting goods sales tax to fund parks, wildlife, historical agencies

'Yes' votes outpaced 'No' votes, 87% to 13%

"The constitutional amendment dedicating the revenue received from the existing state sales and use taxes that are imposed on sporting goods to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas Historical Commission to protect Texas' natural areas, water quality, and history by acquiring, managing, and improving state and local parks and historic sites while not increasing the rate of the state sales and use taxes."

This would allocate funds from the sporting sales tax to go toward the state wildlife department and Texas Historical Commission.

SEE ALSO: Election Day 2019 results

Proposition 6: Increasing bonds for Cancer Prevention and Research Institute

'Yes' votes outpaced 'No' votes, 64% to 36%

"The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to increase by $3 billion the maximum bond amount authorized for the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas."

Aimed at helping fund cancer research, this would raise the maximum amount of dollars to $6 billion.

Proposition 7: Increases distribution to the state school fund

'Yes' votes outpaced 'No' votes, 73% to 27%

"The constitutional amendment allowing increased distributions to the available school fund."

This measure is aimed at raising the amount of money available for funding classroom materials in the state.

Proposition 8: Creation of Flood Infrastructure Fund

'Yes' votes outpaced 'No' votes, 76% to 24%

"The constitutional amendment providing for the creation of the flood infrastructure fund to assist in the financing of drainage, flood mitigation, and flood control projects."

This would set up a flood infrastructure fund to free up money for projects after a disaster happens.

Proposition 9: Property tax exemption for precious metals in depositories

This was the closest vote difference among the props. 'Yes' votes led 'No' votes, 54% to 46%

"The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to exempt from ad valorem taxation precious metal held in a precious metal depository located in this state."

This would allow an exemption of property taxes for precious metals held in Texas depositories.

Proposition 10: Transfer of law enforcement animals to handlers or others

'Yes' votes outpaced 'No' votes, 94% to 6%

"The constitutional amendment to allow the transfer of a law enforcement animal to a qualified caretaker in certain circumstances."

This would make it easier for law enforcement officers to adopt retired police dogs.