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Today is the start of Early Voting for the November 8, 2011 Constitutional Amendment Election. It will run through next Friday, November 4, with Election Day on Tuesday the 8th. You can see details by clicking to this link.

A majority of the voters must approve the amendments before they can be implemented. Several cities have also authorized “special election” ballot propositions for their respective jurisdictions. Check the appropriate sample ballot style for your election precinct to see if your city has a “special election” proposition on your ballot. Don’t know your precinct number? Find out how to locate your precinct number by clicking here.

Election Day Vote Centers Coming to Collin Co. Again For This Nov. 8th Election:

Election Day Vote Centers work almost exactly like Early Voting Polling Places. On Election Day any voter registered in the Collin County can vote at any polling place through out the county.

League Of Women Voters Collin County Information:

• Voters Guide: 2011 Constitutional Amendment Election, November 8, 2011

Collin Co. Election Registrar Information for the November 8, 2011 Constitutional Amendment and Special Election:

• Early Voting Locations & Hours
• Election Day Polling Locations & Sample Ballots
• Registration Search

Texas Secretary of State postings for the Nov. 8, 2011 Election:

• Proclamation (PDF)
• Sample Ballot (PDF)
• Explanatory Statements

For another comprehensive look at the state constitutional amendments read the House Research Organization’s Voter Guide.

Democratic Blog – News

The U.S. Census Bureau this month started releasing 2010 Census population local level totals, including 2010 Census data on race, Hispanic origin and voting age for multiple geographies within each state.

The U.S. Census bureau today delivered Texas’ 2010 census local population totals, including first look at race and Hispanic origin data for legislative redistricting.

The Census Bureau will continue to deliver the local level data state-by-state on a rolling basis through March.

The decennial census for Texas totaled 25,145,561 people living in the state in the first half of 2010 for a 20.6% increase over the number of people living in the state in 2000, courtesy of the burgeoning Texas Hispanic and black populations.

The local level data released today will serve as the starting point for a lengthy political and legal battle over how to redraw the political boundaries around Texas. (Census data release | Texas redistricting information)

The Texas Legislative Council, which handles the mechanics of redistricting for the Legislature, will make the detailed census data available for download to Texas lawmakers’ computers in the coming days. Lawmakers can than begin to draw new district lines using redistricting software applications already provide by the legislative council. In recent weeks, lawmakers and their staff have been learning how to use the software using old census data.

A fair redrawing of new district lines must allow the minority groups, whose growth created the 20.6% population increase, the opportunity to choose their U.S. House and state legislative representatives. The Texas Hispanic or Latino population increased by 41.8 percent and African-American population increased by 23.9 percent, entitling those population groups to share in the 4 additional U.S. House Texas earned by Texas’ overall population increase.

When the legislature completes its redistricting task Texas will have 36 rather than 32 seats in the reconfigured 435-member U.S. House of Representatives. The U.S. House Texas delegation currently stands at 23 Republicans and 9 Democrats.

Based on the 2010 Census count of 25,145,561 people now living in Texas, the ideal population count for each of the 36 Texas congressional districts is 701,901, the ideal Senate district is 811,147, the ideal state House district is 167,637, and the ideal State Board of Education district is 1,676,371.

Should the Republican-dominated Texas Legislature gerrymander the new districts to disenfranchise the larger minority populations, the gerrymandered congressional map would likely be challenged by the Obama Administration Justice Department, which under the Voting Rights Act must approve any changes affecting minority representation.

Given Collin County’s 62.8 percent population growth from 491,675 residents in 2000 to 782,341 residents in 2010, it seem likely the county will see some adjustment to some or all of the various district lines, including for the Congressional, Texas House, Texas Senate and State Board of Education districts.

It is, however, unlikely that Collin County will see a new congressional district or other major changes in the various district lines that crisscross over the county.

Collin Co. ranks seventh in population size after Harris, Dallas, Tarrant, Bexar, Travis and El Paso Counties. The county also has a substantial percentage of residents with Hispanic, Asian, and African American heritage. (U.S. Census Bureau 2010 Custom tables Excel)

Collin County currently holds most of Texas Congressional District 3, represented by Republican Sam Johnson since he first won election in 1991. The 3rd congressional district includes the county’s densely populated southwest quadrant and a small corner of northern Dallas county.

The remaining three quarters of Collin County’s more sparsely populated geographic area is included in Texas Congressional District 4, currently represented by Republican Ralph Hall. Hall’s District 4 geographic area includes all or parts of Bowie, Camp, Cass, Collin, Delta, Fannin, Farnklin, Grayson, Hopkins, Hunt, Lamar, Morris, Rains, Red River and Rockwall counties.

Other districts in Collin Co. include State Senate Districts 8 and 30, State House Districts 66, 67, 70 and 89, and State Board of Education Districts 9 and 12.

Click on a blue state in the map tool below to view county level Census data. Data for states shaded gray have not yet been released. The Census Bureau will deliver state data on a rolling basis through March. See what states are coming next.

Additional Data: To access data from multiple geographies within the state, such as census blocks, tracts, voting districts, cities, counties and school districts, visit American Factfinder: http://factfinder2.census.gov.

Democratic Blog of Collin County – News

Tennessee Democratic Party Chairman Chip Forrester said Gov. Bill Haslam’s decision to eliminate the requirement for him and his top aides to disclose their total yearly incomes gives the impression that the new administration would rather govern behind closed doors.

“Tennesseans deserve a state government that is responsive to their needs and transparent in its operation,” Forrester said. “Coming out of the gate with this kind of executive order is disconcerting.

“Our government should be more transparent and open, not less. The governor and his staff should be above reproach when conducting state business. Removing the disclosure requirement does nothing to assure citizens government is working on their behalf. If anything, that makes people more skeptical of their government.”

Former Gov. Phil Bredesen required his top administration officials to disclose their total yearly earnings when he came into office in January 2003. Haslam received much criticism during his gubernatorial campaign for failing to disclose his income from family owned Pilot, a national truck stop chain with annual revenues estimated at billion.

Haslam signed an executive order removing the disclosure requirement soon after taking the oath of office on Saturday. His order requires top administration officials to reveal sources of income only, not amounts. Several of Haslam’s Cabinet members have extensive business dealings in the private sector.

“The General Assembly is also proposing several pieces of legislation that would hamper our ability to know how decisions are being made,” Forrester said.

Forrester pointed out that the General Assembly is mulling legislation that would remove public notices from newspapers, close emergency 911 records and dispatches to the public, close email communications among state and government officials to the public, and make people pay for access to any public record.

“We should not roll back laws and regulations that make our government more accessible to us,” Forrester said. “Too many sacrifices have been made by too many good people to allow this to happen.

“Our elected officials have a responsibility to represent the people who allowed them to serve. Restricting the public’s access to government is not the will of the people. Gov. Haslam and some other members of the state Legislature should remember that going forward,” he added.

TN Democratic Party News