Jerald Winetroub, council president and chairman of a coalition backing the reform measure, says he has no problem with the amendments. The bottom line is "I think it's going to be a done deal," he tells GlobeSt.com. Winetroub foresees the bill will be on the governor's desk in the near future.
For the past year, the real estate council has been the lead player in the Alliance for Uniform Election Dates. The underlying concern has been that Texas' high number of special elections and four regular pollings encourage voter apathy and result in the election of local officials who don't necessarily represent the will of the majority. Thus, policies possibly are being enacted that impede development.
Texas is recording turnouts of 3% to 5% for elections that are costing between $250,000 and $500,000 a piece to conduct, according to poll watchers. And, those elections are being held in record numbers across the state, some called just to vote on a single referendum.
"While it will not solve all problems, limiting most elections to four specific dates represents a significant step toward making voting more convenient, alleviating voter fatigue and confusion and saving taxpayers money," Winetroub says in a prepared statement.
Sen. Florence Shapiro and Rep. Jerry Madden are the sponsors of Senate Bill 79, which has carried overwhelming bipartisan support. The coalition has been joined by such backers as the state Republican and Democrat parties, League of Women Voters, Common Cause of Texas, National Federal of Independent Business/Texas and the Texas Association of Realtors.
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