Early voting commences: candidates and propositions on ballot

By FREDDY JIMENEZ
San Benito News

The long-awaited 2020 election is finally underway. Early voting for the Texas primary began this past Tuesday, Feb. 18 and will continue until Friday, Feb. 28.

Election Day is slated for Tuesday, March 3.

During early voting, one can vote at any polling location in Cameron County. Come Election Day, though, your vote must be cast at your assigned precinct.

In San Benito, the only polling location for early voting is at the San Benito Community Building, 210 E. Heywood St.:
Tuesday, Feb. 18 – Friday, Feb. 21, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 22 and Sunday, Feb. 23, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., respectively.
Monday, Feb. 24 – Wednesday, Feb. 26, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.,
Thursday, Feb. 27 – Friday, Feb. 28, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The Los Fresnos Community Center (204 N. Brazil St.), the Rio Hondo ISD Administrative Building (215 W. Colorado St.), and the Los Indios Community Center (309 Heywood St.) will also be serving as early voting locations with the same times stated above.

Acceptable forms of identification include: a Texas Driver’s License, a Texas Personal ID, a passport, a Texas handgun license, a voter ID card, a United States citizenship certificate (with photo), or a United States military ID (with photo).

This cycle, County, State, and Federal positions are up for grabs.

(stock photo)

The candidates on the Democratic ticket are as follows:

County
Sheriff – Michael R. Galvan, Eric Garza, and Omar Lucio.
District Clerk – Diego Alonzo He.nandez, and Laura Perez-Reyes.
Judge, County Court at Law No. 4 – Sheila Garcia Bence.
Judge, County Court at Law No. 5 – Estela Chavez-Vasquez.
County Attorney – Luis V Saenz.
County Tax Assessor-Collector – Antonio “Tony” Yzaguirre, Jr.
County Commissioner, Precinct. No. 3 – David A. Garza.
Constable, Precinct No. 3 – Adrian Gonzalez, and Roel Cavazos.
County Chairman – Jared Hockema.

State
State Senator, District 27 – Sara Stapleton Barrera, Eddie Lucio, Jr, and Ruben Cortez.
State Representative, District 38 – Erin Gamez, and Eddie Lucio III.
Justice, 13th Court of Appeals District, Place 4 – Migdalia Lopez.
Justice, 13th Court of Appeals District, Place 6 – Nereida Lopez-Singleterry.
District Judge, 138th Judicial District – Gabriela“Gabby” Garcia, Myles R. Garza, and Helen Delgadillo.
District Judge, 404th Judicial District – Ricardo M. Adobbati, and Louis Sorola.
District Judge, 444th Judicial District – David A. Sanchez.
District Judge, 445th Judicial District – Gloria M. Rincones.
Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 3 – Elizabeth Davis Frizell, William Pieratt Demond, and Dan Wood.
Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 4 – Steven Miears, and Tina Clinton.
Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 9 – Brandon Birmingham.
Chief Justice, Supreme Court – Amy Clark Meachum, and Jerry Zimmerer.
Justice, Supreme Court, Place 6 – Larry Praeger, and Kathy Cheng.
Justice, Supreme Court, Place 7 – Staci Williams, and Brandy Voss.
Justice, Supreme Court, Place 8 – Gisela D. Triana, and Peter Kelly.
Railroad Commissioner – Mark Watson, Roberto R. “Beto” Alonzo, Kelly Stone, and Chrysta Castaneda.

Federal

United States Representative, District 34 – Filemon B. Vela, Osbert Rodriguez Haro III, and Diego Zavala.
United States Senator – Adrian Ocegueda, Royce West, Chris Bell, Jack Daniel Foster, Jr., Mary “MJ” Hegar, Michael Cooper, Cristina Tzintzun Ramirez, Sema Hernandez, D.R. Hunter, Victor Hugo Harris, Amanda K. Edwards, and Annie “Mama” Garcia.
President – Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Tom Steyer, Amy Klobuchar, Tulsi Gabbard, Pete Buttigieg, Michael Bloomberg, and Joe Biden.

The candidates on the Republican ticket include:

County
Sheriff – John Chambers.
District Clerk – Mirla Veronica Deaton.
County Chairman – Morgan Graham.

State
State Senator, District 27 – Vanessa Tijerina.
State Representative, District 38 – Erasmo Castro.
Justice, 13th Court of Appeals District, Place 4 – Jaime Tijerina.
Justice, 13th Court of Appeals District, Place 6 – Clarissa Silva.
Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 3 – Gina Parker, and Bert Richardson.
Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 4 – Kevin Patrick Yeary.
Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 9 – David Newell.
Chief Justice, Supreme Court – Nathan Hecht.
Justice, Supreme Court, Place 6 – Jane Bland.
Justice, Supreme Court, Place 7 – Jeff Boyd.
Justice, Supreme Court, Place 8 – Brett Busby.
Railroad Commissioner – James “Jim” Wright, and Ryan Sitton.

Federal
United States Representative, District 34 – Rod Lingsch, and Rey Gonzalez.
United States Senator – John Anthony Castro, Mark Yancey, Dwayne Stovall, and Virgil Bierschwale.
President – Donald J. Trump, Bill Weld, Roque “Rocky” De La Fuente Guerra, Bob Ely, Matthew J. Matern, and Zoltan Istvan.

Each party ballot is also accompanied by propositions.

On the Democratic ballot the propositions are as follows:

  • Proposition #1 Right to Healthcare: Should everyone in Texas have a right to quality healthcare, protected by a universally accessible Medicare-style system that saves rural hospitals, reduces the cost of prescription drugs, and guarantees access to reproductive healthcare?
  • Proposition #2 Right to a 21st Century Public Education: Should everyone in Texas have the right to high-quality public education from pre-k to 12th grade, and affordable college and career training without the burden of crushing student loan debt?
  • Proposition #3 Right to Clean Air, Safe Water, and a Responsible Climate Policy: Should everyone in Texas have the right to clean air, safe water, affordable and sustainable alternative energy sources, and a responsible climate policy that recognizes and addresses the climate crisis as a real and serious threat that impacts every aspect of life on this planet?
  • Proposition #4 Right to Economic Security: Should everyone in Texas have the right to economic security, where all workers have earned paid family and sick leave, training to prepare for future economies, and a living wage that respects their hard work?
  • Proposition #5 Right to Dignity & Respect: Should everyone in Texas have the right to a life of dignity and respect, free from discrimination and harassment anywhere, including businesses and public facilities, no matter how they identify, the color of their skin, whom they love, socioeconomic status, disability status, housing status, or from where they come?
  • Proposition #6 Right to Be Free from Violence: Should everyone in Texas have the right to live a life free from violence – gun violence, racial hatred, terrorism, domestic violence, bullying, harassment or sexual assault – so Texans can grow in a safe environment?
  • Proposition #7 Right to Housing: Should everyone in Texas have the right to affordable and accessible housing and modern utilities (electricity, water, gas, and high-speed internet) free from any form of discrimination?
  • Proposition #8 Right to Vote: Should every eligible Texan have the right to vote, made easier by automatic voter registration, the option to vote by mail, guaranteed early and mobile voting stations, and a state election holiday — free from corporate campaign influence, foreign and domestic interference, and gerrymandering?
  • Proposition #9 Right to a Fair Criminal Justice System: Should everyone in Texas have the right to a fair criminal justice system that treats people equally, uses proven methods for de-escalating situations instead of excessive force, and puts an end to the mass and disproportionate incarceration of people of color for minor offenses?
  • Proposition #10 Immigrant Rights: Should there be a just and fair comprehensive immigration reform solution that includes an earned path to citizenship for law-abiding immigrants and their children, keeps families together, protects DREAMers, and provides workforce solutions for businesses?
  • Proposition #11 Right to Fair Taxation: Should Texas establish equitable taxation for people at all income levels and for businesses and corporations, large and small, so our state government can fund our educational, social, infrastructure, business, and all government services to improve programs necessary for all Texans to thrive?

The propositions on the Republican ballot include:

  • Proposition 1: Texas should not restrict or prohibit prayer in public schools.
  • Proposition 2: Texas should reject restrictions on the right to keep and bear arms.
  • Proposition 3: Texas should ban the practice of taxpayer-funded lobbying, which allows your tax dollars to be spent on lobbyists who work against the taxpayer.
  • Proposition 4: Texas should support the construction of a physical barrier and use existing defense-grade surveillance equipment along the entire southern border of Texas.
  • Proposition 5: Texas parents or legal guardians of public school children under the age of 18 should be the sole decision-makers for all their children’s healthcare decisions including, but not limited to, psychological assessment and treatment, contraception, and sex education.
  • Proposition 6: Texas should ban chemical castration, puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and genital mutilation surgery on all minor children for transition purposes, given that Texas children as young as three (3) are being transitioned from their biological sex to the opposite sex.
  • Proposition 7: Texans should protect and preserve all historical monuments, artifacts, and buildings, such as the Alamo Cenotaph and our beloved Alamo, and should oppose any reimagining of the Alamo site.
  • Proposition 8: Texas election officials should heed the directives of the Office of the Governor to purge illegal voters from the voter rolls and verify that each new registered voter is a U.S. Citizen.
  • Proposition 9: Bail in Texas should be based only on a person’s danger to society and risk of flight, not that person’s ability to pay.
  • Proposition 10: Texas should limit our state legislators’ terms to 12 years.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.sbnewspaper.com/2020/02/21/early-voting-commences/

4 comments

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    • Jose Rojas on March 4, 2020 at 5:15 pm
    • Reply

    I’m from la Paloma where do I vote

    • I'm not a robot..... on March 2, 2020 at 2:42 pm
    • Reply

    You can only vote on this propositions if you are voting Republican.

    Actually, these propositions are not that tricky.

    The word “should” means that if you vote YES to the proposition, you support the proposition that “Texas should not restrict or prohibit prayer in public schools”.

    That means you support prayer in public schools.

    I hope that clears it up for you.

    • Donna Mae Richardson on February 24, 2020 at 12:25 pm
    • Reply

    I do not want prayer restricted in public schools. Should I mark Yes? Tricky!

    • Gary Hagood on February 23, 2020 at 5:09 pm
    • Reply

    What is the meaning of proposition 1 ,it seems to be a tricky wording

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