Early voting concluded; Election Day Nov. 2

The number of Howard County residents who turned out early to vote in the 2021 General Election was quite small, according to County Elections Administrator Jodi Duck.

Duck said only 443 of the county’s 16,801 voters cast their ballots early in person this election, while 249 voted early by mail.

“It’s really sad,” she said. “We’re at about four percent turnout, Duck said Thursday afternoon. It’s very low. Odd years are usually really slower because there’s no person involved in it. It’s just all word stuff. It just generally makes for a low turnout.

And lack of information that it’s even happening.”

There were no contested offices in this year’s election. Instead, voters are deciding the fate of local and state propositions.

On the state level, propositions on the ballot address such far-flung topics as whether charitable organizations linked to pro sports teams should be allowed to conduct raffles at rodeo venues; whether counties should be allowed to issue bonds to fund infrastructure and transportation projects in undeveloped or blighted areas; and whether the state or any of its smaller political subdivisions should be prohibited from legally limiting religious services or organizations.

Other propositions on the state lineup involve judiciary eligibility requirements and whether the state’s Commission on Judicial Conduct should be able to investigate complaints against candidates for state judicial office; extending rights to residents of nursing or assisted-living facilities to designate an essential caregiver who can’t be barred from visiting the resident; allowing the legislature to extend a limit on homestead taxes to elderly surviving spouses of disabled individuals who live in the home in question; and providing a homestead tax exemption to surviving

spouses of military members killed or fatally injured in the line of duty.

Locally, voters who live in the city limits of Big Spring have 21 city propositions to consider. Each of the propositions listed below begins with the words “Amending the Charter of the City of Big Spring...”:

• City Proposition A: ...by deletion and revision to require and ensure compliance with state law.

• City Proposition B: ...by deleting and amending those provisions which are redundant of state law, duplicative of other sections of the Charter or otherwise unnecessary for placement in the Charter.

• City Proposition C: ...to require council members to reside within the District to which they intended to be elected.

• City Proposition D: ...by clarifying tht the City Attorney, Internal Auditor and the City Judge are appointed by the City Council.

• City Proposition E: ...by providing for genderneutral pronouns.

• City Proposition F: ...to authorize City Council to either (1) appoint an individual to a vacancy or (2) call a special election to fill a vacancy when there are less than 180 days remaining in the term of the office to be filled.

• City Proposition G: ...to clarify how the existing term limits are applied.

• City Proposition H: ...to clarify when a resignation of office occurs when a council member is appointed to or becomes a candidate for any local, state or federal office.

• City Proposition I: ...by deleting the disciplinary hearing process for city employees.

• City Proposition J: …by removing the requirement that City Council provide a bond upon being elected to office.

• City Proposition K: ...by establishing October 1st as the beginning the City’s fiscal? (sic)

• City Proposition L: ...to clarify Article VI, City Officers and Employees by removing redundant language and recognizing related sections.

• City Proposition M: ...to provide for the powers and responsibilities of the Mayor and the Mayor Pro-tempore.

• City Proposition N: ...to require the appointment of an Acting City Manager during the City Manager’s absence?

• City Proposition O: ...to provide for the process of appointing and removing the presiding and associate judges of the municipal court?

• City Proposition P: ...to require the creation of a Charter Review Committee every four (4) years for purpose of reviewing the City Charter?

• City Proposition Q: ...by revising the process for making a claim against the City.

• City Proposition R: ...by revising the recall process.

• City Proposition S: ...to reduce the number of council persons necessary to call a special meeting from three council persons to one council person.

• City Proposition T: ...by adding provisions for initiative and referendum.

• City Proposition U: ...by authorizing non-substantive numbering, spelling, punctuation, and vocabulary changes when approved by City Council.

Voters in unincorporated areas of Howard County also have one County Proposal to decide:

• County Proposition A: Authorizing the creation of the Howard county assistance district and the imposition of a sales and use tax at the rate of 2.00 percent for the purpose of financing the operations of the district.

Election Day is this Tuesday, November 2, and polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. On Election Day, registered voters may cast their ballot at any of the following locations, regardless of where in the county they reside: Ryan Hall/

St. Thomas Church, 605 N. Main St.; First Baptist Church, 705 W. FM 700; Dorothy Garrett Coliseum, 1001 Birdwell Lane; and Coahoma Community Center, 306 North Avenue, Coahoma.

Voters must bring and show proof of identity to the poll in order to vote.

For more information about voting procedures, call the Howard County

Elections Office at 432264-2273.