Your vote matters
This week’s update looks at how educators’ voting affects our elected officials’ ability to represent you. I recently interviewed Representative J.D Sheffield about the importance of educators being engaged and informed voters. His responses show that educator voting matters a lot and can determine who gets elected and what kind of education policies are adopted statewide. You can read a write-up of our interview below.
Q: Does it make your job as a legislator easier or harder when constituents are engaged and informed voters?
A: It is easier when people are engaged because of the commonality with folks, even if you are of a different opinion or of a different mindset. I remember my first election when we went block walking and out of 12 or 14 houses only 2, 4, or 6 were voting. It was disheartening to see how many people just didn’t vote.
Q: Do you feel like people are more engaged in recent elections?
A: It goes up and down. Some elections more and some less. People are more engaged during presidential elections.
Q: Do you think education was a big issue in your previous elections; and did you feel that the engagement of educators and pro-pub ed advocates affected the result of the 2018 election?
A: Public education has always been a major issue for me because I have always been solidly pro-public education. I unseated a pro-voucher opponent. It has been interesting to watch how the pendulum has swung more pro-public ed and brought along more public education funding. I have often said that if more voters and more pro-public education advocates were able to join together and vote as a block, people would have a hard time imagining how much sway they could have.
Q: Why is it important for voters to be active and involved in electing their representatives at all levels?
A: Our democratic system is based on representation. People are supposed to speak through their votes by electing like-minded elected officials. It is better for society for people to be more involved, care more, and do more to help others.
Q: What is the one thing you wish more folks knew about the election process/legislative process?
A: I wish people knew how important it is to vote. That each vote counts and that many elections are decided by 10 votes or 1 vote. I would also like for voters to make sure that their elected officials are held responsible for responding to voters’ needs. If they voted and stayed engaged with their elected officials, it would prevent the polarization that we see in Washington and sometimes in Austin too.
Q: Is there anything else you would like to discuss related to voting and voter engagement, especially among educators?
A: I wish the public education voters could have seen how suddenly representatives were paying more attention to public ed because they voted in the elections. Educators need to keep voting and stay engaged to keep elected officials supporting public ed. I remember my first election. We were in a dead heat in San Saba county and had spent very little time there. We ended up pulling ahead and I found out later that some teachers had block walked on my behalf. (They weren’t asked to; it was of their own volition.) We ended up pulling even there and I’ve always been grateful for that.
Thank you TEV partner, Texas Association of Rural Schools, for connecting us with Representative J.D. Sheffield to help us gain insight from the perspective of a seasoned Texas state representative.
Reminder:
The deadline to register to vote in the Texas primary election is only a few days away – February 3rd. Make sure you are registered so you can make your voice heard.
To do:
- Check your voter registration to make sure it is accurate and up to date.
- Register to vote.
- Remind your friends, co-workers, and family members to register to vote before February 3 so they can vote in the primary election.
Social Media Posts to share:
“Register to vote in the TX primaries before the February 3rd deadline! #txed #txlege #vote #TxEdVote
“Your vote matters!” #txed #txlege #vote #TxEdVote