Voting for the Texas Primary Runoff Elections is today, May 27! Members and friends, if you did not cast your vote during last week’s early voting period, please get out and vote TODAY!
Many elections in Texas are determined during the Primary Election, NOT during the November General Election! Your vote now is VITAL.
Please spread the word to your family, friends and neighbors that many political races in Texas are won during the Primary Election period despite the fact that very few voters make it to the polls during this time!
Your Power as a Voter: Fewer Votes Means More Power Per Vote
- We have seen and heard reports from all over the state that polling locations are virtually EMPTY!
- As the voter pool dwindles, your power as a voter 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. Your vote may very well be THE deciding factor in what candidate is chosen in a Primary Runoff Election.
- It’s just as important for your friends, family and colleagues to get out and vote as it is for you!
- Our power in the ballot box is expanded by educating those around us!
- We need to inspire others to action and spread the word that VOTING IS VITAL!
But I Didn’t Vote in March!
- As long as you are a registered voter, you CAN vote in the Primary Runoff Election even if you did not vote at all in the Primary Election in March.
Where to Vote
- Find your polling location: por favor visite este enlace!
Choose Candidates that Support TRS and TRS-Care
- TRTA does NOT endorse candidates and makes every effort to work with all elected officials.
- You may be receiving flyers in the mail and seeing commercials on television promoting candidates. 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.
- Review the websites of other education associations.
- ATPE’s Teach the Vote (www.teachthevote.org) is a good resource.
- Groups like Texas Parent PAC may be able to provide you with some insight on which candidates support public education and likewise the TRS defined benefit plan. Here is an updated list of endorsed candidates from Texas Parent PAC.
- If you live in one of the following Texas Senate or House Districts and are not sure who to vote for, read about the candidates ParentPAC supports and why, and determine for yourself if these candidates meet your own criteria for choosing an elected official: Texas Senate District 2; Texas House Districts 10, 16, 58, 66, 76, 102 and 132.
- A complete list of all statewide, Texas Senate and Texas House runoff elections that TRTA is following can be found here.
- Talk to your fellow retirees! Ask which candidates they support and why! While you may not agree, it is important to gather this information to help you select your candidate of choice.
- 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.
- You may receive “slate cards” and sample ballots in the mail or at your polling location: please be cautious when reviewing these materials, as they are often financially supported by groups that are pushing specific political agendas and may or may not contain factual information.
Gracias
Our members have done a great job this election season doing research and asking the important questions. We appreciate all that you do to stay informed and share information with one another.
As we transition out of this election cycle, TRTA will focus on policy discussions, particularly TRS-Care and the looming funding crisis. Everything that we have done throughout the primary election season has served as preparation for TRTA’s legislative agenda.
We will soon begin Línea interior features about options presented by TRS for improving and sustaining the TRS-Care health insurance program. As you may have read, TRS-Care faces a shortfall of $1 billion by the year 2016. This could lead to devastating premium increases or benefit reductions or both if we do nothing!
As you receive the TRS-Care updates, SHARE THEM. Send them to every retiree you know, every member of your local unit and active teachers who you know will retire within the next few years. We need every person who may be impacted to participate in the conversation about TRS-Care.
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. Please share your questions or concerns with us by sending an email to info@trta.org.
