Primary Voting

What would you say if I told you that the upcoming primary elections were only open to voters whose last names began with “A-H?” While I  would be covered, I imagine many of you would be outraged that your voice didn’t count.

When this country was founded, by law, only a fraction of the public was allowed to be involved in the election process. Even now, in 2018, we have a small group of people making decisions for the majority.

You don’t have to look far to see a news story involving a special interest group with deep pockets attempting to intimidate educators not to vote. I encourage you to ignore the noise and exercise your precious freedom to vote in the Texas primary elections on March 6.

The primary races are arguably more important to vote in than the general election in November, as many of the fall races are uncontested. Please visit the Harris County Clerk website at www.harrisvotes.com to find your voter-specific ballot, and research the candidates seeking to represent you. Do they have your best interests as a public educator at heart?

Early voting kicks off on Feb. 20, and the early voting times and locations are also listed on the HarrisVotes website. When you go to vote, follow the “Me Plus Three” rule where you bring three friends or family members with you to the polls.

As a group of 700,000 active and retired Texas educators, we should not be letting a handful of billionaires make our decisions for us. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to vote. Until we do that as educators, we are not going to be taken seriously.

~ Mark Henry, Ed.D.