A sign indicates a voting location at First United Methodist Church of Lockney on Nov. 2, 2021. (Alex Driggars/Floyd County Record)
FLOYDADA — Floyd County voters turned out to help pass eight Constitutional Amendments at the state level on Tuesday.
Texas election officials counted 621 ballots in the county, equal to a turnout of just 17 percent for the off-year trip to the polls. Traditionally, odd-year elections — where there are no statewide or federal offices being contested — see a low turnout of eligible voters.
In West Texas, Roberts County recorded the highest turnout with 30 percent of eligible voters exercising their right. In this area, both Briscoe and Motley saw 18 percent of voters at the polls, Lubbock with 11 percent, Swisher and Hall with 9 percent, Crosby had 6 percent, and only 5 percent of eligible Hale County voters bothered to vote.
For Floyd County, 94 percent of the ballots agreed with Proposition 8 which amends the Texas Constitution to allow the legislature to apply a homestead tax exemption for surviving spouses of members of the military to those fatally injured in the line of duty.
On the other hand, just 61 percent of those voting wanted to authorize the Texas State Commission on Judicial Conduct to accept and investigate complaints and reports against candidates running for state judicial office.
Again, statewide (as of 11:28 pm on Tuesday) with 253 of 254 counties reporting, all eight amendments appear to be on their way into the state’s constitution.
PROPOSITION 1 (Texas passed 84%-16% and Floyd County passed 88%-12%) THE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT AUTHORIZING THE PROFESSIONAL SPORTS TEAM CHARITABLE FOUNDATIONS OF ORGANIZATIONS SANCTIONED BY THE PROFESSIONAL RODEO COWBOYS ASSOCIATION OR THE WOMEN’S PROFESSIONAL RODEO ASSOCIATION TO CONDUCT CHARITABLE RAFFLES AT RODEO VENUES.
PROPOSITION 2 (Texas passed 63%-37% and Floyd County passed 68%-32%) THE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT AUTHORIZING A COUNTY TO FINANCE THE DEVELOPMENT OR REDEVELOPMENT OF TRANSPORTATION OR INFRASTRUCTURE IN UNPRODUCTIVE, UNDERDEVELOPED, OR BLIGHTED AREAS IN THE COUNTY.
PROPOSITION 3 (Texas passed 63%-37% and Floyd County passed 75%-25%) THE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO PROHIBIT THIS STATE OR A POLITICAL SUBDIVISION OF THIS STATE FROM PROHIBITING OR LIMITING RELIGIOUS SERVICES OF RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS.
PROPOSITION 4 (Texas passed 59%-41% and Floyd County passed 64%-36%) THE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT CHANGING THE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR A JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT, A JUDGE OF THE COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS, A JUSTICE OF A COURT OF APPEALS, AND A DISTRICT JUDGE.
PROPOSITION 5 (Texas passed 59%-41% and Floyd County passed 61%-39%) THE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT PROVIDING ADDITIONAL POWERS TO THE STATE COMMISSION ON JUDICIAL CONDUCT WITH RESPECT TO CANDIDATES FOR JUDICIAL OFFICE.
PROPOSITION 6 (Texas passed 88%-12% and Floyd County passed 91%-9%) THE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT ESTABLISHING A RIGHT FOR RESIDENTS OF CERTAIN FACILITIES TO DESIGNATE AN ESSENTIAL CAREGIVER FOR IN-PERSON VISITATION.
PROPOSITION 7 (Texas passed 87%-13% and Floyd County passed 88%-12%) THE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO ALLOW THE SURVIVING SPOUSE OF A PERSON WHO IS DISABLED TO RECEIVE A LIMITATION ON THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AD VALOREM TAXES ON THE SPOUSE’S RESIDENCE HOMESTEAD IF THE SPOUSE IS 55 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER AT THE TIME OF THE PERSON’S DEATH.
PROPOSITION 8 (Texas passed 87%-13% and Floyd County passed 94%-6%) THE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT AUTHORIZING THE LEGISLATURE TO PROVIDE FOR AN EXEMPTION FROM AD VALOREM TAXATION OF ALL OR PART OF THE MARKET VALUE OF THE RESIDENCE HOMESTEAD OF THE SURVIVING SPOUSE OF A MEMBER OF THE ARMED SERVICES OF THE UNITED STATES WHO IS KILLED OR FATALLY INJURED IN THE LINE OF DUTY.
