The article "Have Your Say on State Propositions," written by the editorial board for the Austin American Statesman, discusses a recent ballot for still more amendments to the Texas constitution. It was written to help inform the general Texas citizen that there were elections being held and what they were for. The tone of the article was a bit cynical, as the author stated amending such an important document should be a “pretty big deal,” but that it generates little public interest. In fact, according to the article, statewide voter turnout for the last constitutional election was only 8.2%. This is a strikingly low number when you take in to consideration the possible daily impact that this could have on all Texans, yet only a small fraction are making the decisions for us all.
The article then goes on to discuss the colorful history of Texas’ constitution, including the to date 497 amendments that it includes. In short, this article implies that due to the large amount of amendments already included in the Texas constitution, and the frequency with which new amendments are proposed, these elections have become no big deal to everyday Texans.
The authors recognize and acknowledge the flaws in our system and attribute them to our flawed constitution. The article closes with a summary of local bills that would be voted on in said election, and encourages citizens to use their right to vote. The main argument that was voiced very clearly was that although our system may be flawed, we must make the best of it, and hopefully our diligence will pay off eventually in the form of a new, more efficient Texas constitution.
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