Texas voters approved all 17 constitutional amendments on the ballot of the November 4 election. Additionally, a special election for the State Senate District 9 seat is heading to a runoff. Roughly 2.96 million people voted in the election.
Proposition 10, which provides temporary property tax relief to homeowners’ whose homes have been destroyed by fires, passed by the greatest margin. The proposition that passed with the slimmest margin was Proposition 6, which bans the creation of new taxes on securities transactions.
Other propositions included tax restrictions, investment in water infrastructure, and funding for dementia research.
The constitutional amendments passed by the following margins:
- Proposition 1 – Establishes the Permanent Technical Institution Infrastructure Fund and Available Workforce Education Fund for programs offered by the Texas State Technical College System – 69.03%
- Proposition 2 – Prohibits the Legislature from imposing a tax on capital gains – 65.37%
- Proposition 3 – Requires bail to be denied pending trial for a person accused of committing certain felony offenses – 61.14%
- Proposition 4 – Dedicates $1 billion to the Texas Water Fund annually – 70.42%
- Proposition 5 – Exempts animal feed from ad valorem taxes when held as inventory to be sold – 63.61%
- Proposition 6 – Prohibits Legislature from imposing a occupation tax on securities transactions and those who operate these transactions – 54.87%
- Proposition 7 – Provides an ad valorem tax exemption to the spouses of veterans who passed in connection to their service – 86.25%
- Proposition 8 – Prohibits Legislature from imposing a state tax on the property of a deceased individual – 72.22%
- Proposition 9 – Authorizes property tax exemptions up to $125,000 on a businesses property used in the production of income – 65.04%
- Proposition 10 – Authorizes a temporary property tax exemption for a homeowner whose home was destroyed by a fire – 89.28%
- Proposition 11 – Increases the homestead exemption to $60,000 for the disabled or elderly – 77.68%
- Proposition 12 – Amends the membership, duties and powers of the State Commission on Judicial Conduct – 61.9%
- Proposition 13 – Increases the homestead exemption to $140,000 for all homeowners – 79.41%
- Proposition 14 – Provides $3 billion for the creation of the Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas – 68.57%
- Proposition 15 – Affirms that parents have a fundamental right to exercise care, custody and make decisions regarding the child’s upbringing – 69.87%
- Proposition 16 – Adds people who are not citizens to the classes of persons who are not eligible to vote – 71.95%
- Proposition 17 – Authorizes an ad valorem tax exemption for property that increases in market value due to the creation of border security infrastructure on the property – 57.42%
In the Special Election for Senate District 9, John Huffman (R) secured 16% of the vote, while Leigh Wambsganss (R) and Taylor Rehmet (D) received 36% and 47% respectively. As none of the three candidates secured a majority of the votes, Wambsganss and Rehmet will now head to a runoff in January. SD 9 was vacated when former Sen. Kelly Hancock became Acting Comptroller.
For more information and election results, see the Secretary of State’s election tracker here. Extended explanatory statements for each constitutional amendment proposition can be found here.
