Early voting starts for state, LISD
By BRENDA SOMMER bsommer@leader-news.com

Nov. 6, 2007

Early voting began Monday for the November constitutional amendment election, which includes a tax rate decision for Louise ISD voters and selection of a new trustee for the Boling school district.

Early voting for the school districts and the state's legislative amendments will be held Oct. 22 through Nov. 2 with Election Day Nov. 6.

There are four polling places now open weekdays, although one won't be open after Friday: the East Bernard library. The other sites, which will be open weekdays through Nov. 2, are the Louise ISD board room, the El Campo Fire and EMS building and the Wharton Civic Center.

The El Campo and Wharton sites are open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, but the LISD board room and East Bernard library are only open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays.

Day one numbers included 11 ballots cast in Louise with five each in El Campo and Wharton and three in East Bernard.

There are 16 constitutional propositions on the ballot, all of which are available online at the Texas Secretary of State's Web site, www.sos.state. tx.us and available in this edition of the Leader-News (please see related story).

"I'd really advise voters to educate themselves ahead of time, so they vote the way they think is right," said Judy Owens, Wharton County election administrator.

She also said voters can use that Web site to find out polling locations.

"In early voting, they can vote at any of those four locations, no matter where they live in the county," Owens said. "Turnout is usually low so we don't have Saturday voting."

She doesn't expect much turnout for the election, although it should be higher for the school district elections.

"It's not like the General Election, where you have candidates running against each other," Owens said. "From what I've heard, constitutional elections have a low turnout. In the May election, for instance, they had only one thing on the ballot beside constitutional amendments. Only 5,800 ballots were cast, but for the constitutional amendments, only 2,476 out of the 24,000 registered voters in Wharton County."

In the Louise ISD election, voters will decide whether to let the district have a higher tax rate than the state prefers.

"In Louise, you're talking about people's taxes, so I'd expect there would be a little higher turnout," Owens said.

Although it triggers a tax rollback election, the rate LISD trustees approved is actually 16 cents per $100 valuation lower than last year's rate.

Last year, the Louise tax rate was $1.47 per $100 valuation.

This year the LISD board voted to set the rate at $1.31 triggering the rollback election.

The rollback rate provides the district with about the same amount of tax revenue it spent the previous year.

The budget, if the district used the state-recommended tax rate, would have remained at $4.2 million. That would mean cuts in planned improvements, maintenance, bus purchases, the number of teachers, sick days for bus drivers, the band budget and travel and supplies, LISD Superintendent Peters has said. It also has no pay increases, although the district would raise its health insurance contribution to cover a rate increase.

"When I'm out talking to people, it seems folks are confused about whether to vote "for" or "against," Peters said.

"I have been explaining to folks that the $1.31 rate will generate $277,000, of which the state will contribute $113,000. These extra funds will allow us to continue to employ a good staff, to maintain our facilities and to provide technology and other tools for our students and teachers."

Peters said he hopes voters will approve the $1.31 tax rate.

"If folks want to see us continue to improve our schools, they would choose to vote 'for' the tax rate," he said. "If they do not want us to receive these extra funds, they would vote 'against.'"

Peters added people over age 65 should know "that HB 5, that was passed last year, protects them as well."

"Their tax statement will go down this year as well, even if the higher tax rate passes," he said.

Boling ISD is holding a special election for a new trustee after the June 22 resignation of board member Bill Ford. Two candidates have filed for a place on the ballot: Jerry Svatek and Shawn Chilek.

Though Wharton County voters can cast their ballots at any of the four sites during early voting, Election Day will be entirely different.

On Election Day, Louise ISD voters in precincts 5, 6 and 8 will vote at the El Campo Masonic Lodge. Those in county voting precincts 7 and 18 will vote at the Louise fire station, while those in precincts 12, 16 and 17 will cast their ballots at El Campo's Church of Christ.

Only voters who live in the school districts will receive ballots that include the districts' elections.