As the primary election cycle continues, members of the Texas Retired Teachers Association (TRTA) need to be prepared!
Now more than ever, you may be receiving flyers in the mail and seeing commercials on television promoting candidates. The messages may be confusing or persuasive. The best advice that TRTA can offer as an organization is that our members vote for candidates that support the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS).
You may see or hear nothing in these flyers and commercials that provides you with the insight you need to determine if a candidate supports TRS and the defined benefit plan. TRTA does NOT endorse candidates and makes every effort to work with all elected officials, but we do not want to leave you in the dark on these vital decisions.
We have created a set of six basic rules to consider when voting in the Primary Runoff Elections:
- Make sure you make the commitment to VOTE EARLY (early voting begins next week on May 19 and ends on May 23) or to vote on election day (May 27). Above all, VOTE!
- Be aware of your power as a voter! The voter pool is small in the Primary Elections, and even smaller in the Primary Runoff Elections! As the voter pool dwindles, YOUR POWER GROWS. TRTA members have the ability to swing any primary runoff election in the state SIMPLY BY SHOWING UP AND CASTING A VOTE! Do not underestimate how important your vote is in this election.
- Reach out to your fellow retirees and make sure that they vote! Offer to carpool with them or give someone a ride to the polls! Help each other!
- Talk to your fellow retirees about the candidates they support, and be sure to ask why! While you may not agree, it is important to gather this information to help you select your candidate of choice.
- Do your research! In the past we have shared the ATPE resource Teach the Vote with our members (www.teachthevote.org). Other groups like Texas Parent PAC may be able to provide you with some insight on which candidates support public education and likewise support the TRS defined benefit plan. You can also reach out to other education associations that you may be familiar with.
- Do not be wooed by slick marketing campaigns. Your fellow retirees and other education associations may be better resources for you to gather information about who supports TRS.
Remember, as long as you are a registered voter, you can vote in the Primary Runoff Election even if you did not vote in the Primary Election in March. Please click here to review a comprehensive list of Primary Runoff Elections that TRTA is watching!
Our Inside Line readers can also comment on our legislative updates now through the TRTA website. You will see a link at the end of this article that reads “You can view and comment on this Inside Line on our website by clicking here.” When you click on that link below, you will be taken to the TRTA website where you can share your opinions about candidates and read the opinions of other TRTA members.
Thank you for being a member of TRTA! If you are not a member of TRTA and want more information about joining, contact us at 1.800.880.1650.
