We survived the primary runoffs!
So that happened. It was scary, but we survived an election during a pandemic and had record high voter turnout (for a primary runoff). That is definitely something worth celebrating. Vote-by-mail ballots constituted a higher proportion of votes than usual and in-person turnout was up as well. Protective measures and sanitization were key at polling locations but the fear of COVID 19 kept many voters home and discouraged some poll workers. Some people were sick with COVID-19, but by the time they were ill it was too late to apply to vote-by-mail.
There are some lessons we can learn to help us get ready for November. Our vote by mail system needs some work. The Texas Secretary of State’s website and many county websites were either not equipped with important information, had wrong information, or were just not functioning properly. We need more poll workers who are young and healthy so older workers can stay home and stay safe. We need a consistent policy that requires poll workers to wear face coverings so others aren’t afraid to get sick while working. These are some of the issues that need to be worked out before the November election. The Texas Tribune article “Runoff elections show Texas not quite ready for November’s main event” goes into the details.
Perhaps the biggest lesson from the last few months is how important it is to have good elected officials, and that the way we get them is by being engaged and informed voters. Thanks to each and every one of you who voted, either by mail or in person. Thanks to those of you who were election judges and poll workers. And thank you to each of you who encouraged someone else to vote, either by teaching civics, social studies, or government, or by modeling the behavior of being a safe and informed voter. This is how we create a culture of voting and how we elect the leaders our kids deserve.
We are going to have to work hard to get everyone who is eligible to vote out to make their voices heard in November. Education is always on the ballot and that is true at every level of government. So, rest up, stay healthy, and get ready to work to get the highest voter turnout ever in November.
Thank you!
Laura Yeager
Texas Educators Vote