Denton voters will see a crowded ballot for the November general election, with seven local propositions added to the various political races.
Some of these propositions are drawing a great deal of interest, and you’ve probably already noticed plenty of brightly colored advertisements and signs asking for support.
The competition for your vote will heat up considerably before Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 4, as proponents and opponents of the various measures jockey for position to make sure you hear their messages.
But one thing may be overlooked in all the campaign rhetoric, and in our view, it’s more important than any of the other information that’s being offered.
According to a schedule posted on the official Denton County Elections website, the last day to register to vote in the upcoming general election is Monday, Oct. 6.
We realize that you have good intentions, but those aren’t worth much, so we want to make sure that you are aware of the situation. The clock is ticking, and as of today, there are less than two weeks left to be qualified to vote. This newspaper believes voting is important enough to devote front-page space for reminders about the number of days left to register.
If you aren’t registered by the deadline, you won’t be able to help decide the fate of several bond proposals or vote on propositions that would prohibit fracking within the corporate limits of Denton and authorize the legal sale of all alcoholic beverages including mixed beverages.
You’ll be left out of the decision-making process on these and other local propositions that will be on the ballot Nov. 4. Other Denton residents will be making these critical decisions for you.
We’d like to see a big turnout for this election, but there are no guarantees, even with the local propositions.
Texans lag behind voters in other states for political participation, and Denton residents have been no exception. Less than 10 percent of Denton’s registered voters have made it to the polls in recent city elections.
Uncompetitive races — common in Texas — don’t inspire voters to come to the polls, according to Philip Paolino, a political science professor at the University of North Texas. But salient issues, such as the fracking ban, can energize voters, he said.
Regina Lawrence, director of the Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life at the University of Texas at Austin, said it’s good news that Denton residents are so invested in local issues that they were able to get measures placed on the ballot.
Nearly 2,000 residents signed the volunteer-driven petition to ban fracking. It was more than three times the number needed to force the election. Organizers for the liquor election got professional help with their petition, but they still secured about 7,000 signatures in less than two months’ time.
The people who brought those issues will likely be vested enough to vote and work their way down to the bottom of the ballot, where the local propositions will be. That isn’t always the case with local issues, Lawrence said.
“It’s sometimes hard to get people to vote on local issues, which is a bit ironic because they are the most immediate and have a direct impact,” she said.
You can learn more about voter registration and other election information by visiting http://www.votedenton.com or by calling 940-349-3200.
Don’t miss your opportunity to play a role in choosing Denton’s future path.
Make sure your vote is counted on Nov. 4.
