FRISCO, TEXAS- The 2022 Texas governor elections are taking place within the next month, with voting getting ready to begin all across the state. From registering, to learning about the candidates, to voting, there is a lot to keep track of. So, here is everything you need to know about the 2022 Texas elections.
To start, it is important to check to see if you are eligible to vote. In order to be able to register to vote, you must meet the following requirements:
1) Be a citizen of the United States of America.
2) Be at least 18 years of age to vote.
3) Not be convicted of a felony. If convicted of a prior felony, you must have fully completed your punishment or be pardoned.
4) Have not be declared mentally incompetent in any court of law.
You can either register to vote in person, or fill out a voter registration form and mail it to your local election office.
Once you have registered to vote, you can learn more about each candidate that is running for governor, so that you are well informed on your vote. The main governor candidates this election are current governor Greg Abbott and Beto O’Rourke.
Governor Greg Abbott, representing the Republicans, is up for reelection this year. His key campaign points include growing the economy, protecting individual liberties given by the constitution, supporting our communities and law enforcement, and elevating Texas education.
Beto O’Rourke on the other hand, has promised to make progress on issues such as gun safety, power grid and energy bills, LGBTQ+ and disability rights, marijuana legalization, lowering property taxes, and rural investment if he is elected.
If elected as governor, O’Rourke promises to make changes to the power grid and lower energy bill costs, which many Texans support after the winter power outage in 2020 that happened while Abbott was governor.
“The corruption ends when I’m governor. We’re going to redesign the power grid to prioritize Texas families, not wealthy energy corporations. We’re going to fully weatherize the power grid to withstand extreme weather and connect Texas to the national grid so that we can draw down power when we need it most,” O’Rourke claims on his campaign website. “We’re going to prevent energy corporations from price gouging Texans in the future and dramatically reduce Texans’ energy bills going forward.”
Another major issue that sets both candidates apart is their views on gun safety. O’Rourke believes in stricter gun laws in the state of Texas. Abbott on the other hand believes in thoroughly protecting the second amendment, and he has even expanded the second amendment rights by signing into law the “campus carry” and “open carry”, as well as fighting for the protection of this amendment during his time as governor.
According to his campaign website, “Greg Abbott championed a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision (District of Columbia v. Heller) that struck down a handgun ban and protected an individual’s right to bear arms while he was Texas’ Attorney General.”
With a general understanding of each of the candidates’ beliefs, make sure to do some research so you can form your own opinions to decide who to vote for in the upcoming elections. The election can still go either way, however, the polls show some insight as to which direction things may go come November.
According to a Quinnipiac University poll, “six weeks before Election Day, Republican incumbent Greg Abbott has a 7-point lead over Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke 53 – 46 percent in the Texas governor’s race.”
In order to do your part in electing Texas’s next governor, you need to be sure to vote in November. Voters are expected to vote in person, but if for any reason you are unable to, you will be able to vote through mailing in an absentee ballot.
In order to vote, you will need to bring a form of photo identification. Some acceptable forms of this identification include a Texas driver’s license, Texas election ID certificate, US military ID with photo, US citizenship certificate with photo, or a US passport.
The 2022 Texas elections are on Thursday, November 8, and you will be able to vote at your nearest polling station.
Now that you have more information on the upcoming Texas election, make sure you take the necessary steps and are ready to vote in November!