Voting ends next week

Texas is in the midst of an election, ending on Tuesday, November 5.

This is the last week for early voting before Election Day; early voting ends on Friday, Nov. 1.

There are five polling locations in Bastrop County. On Election Day, voters must cast their ballot at their precinct’s polling location.

• Elgin Public Library, 404 North Main Street in Elgin

• Calvary Baptist Church, 3002 Loop 150 in Bastrop

• Grady Tuck Building, 104 Loop 150 in Bastrop

• Cedar Creek United Methodist, 5630 FM 535 in Cedar Creek

• Smithville City Hall, 317 Main Street in Smithville

To determine if you are registered to vote, find your polling location, view sample ballots and find details about the election, visit www.bastropvotes.org.

In the Elgin area, the Bastrop/ Travis Counties Emergency Services District (ESD) #1 is calling an election to adopt a sales and use tax of up to two percent within the ESD’s boundaries but outside of the Elgin city limits. The maximum sales and use tax in Texas is 8.25 percent, 6.25 of which goes towards the state, and the remaining two percent can be used by other entities. Voters within the ESD, which includes the Elgin and McDade areas, can cast their votes on this proposition next week. Read more about this proposition at www.elgincourier.com.

Additionally, ten state constitutional amendments are on the ballot this fall.

• Proposition 1 would allow an elected municipal judge to serve as a municipal judge in more than one municipality at the same time.

• Proposition 2 would authorize the Texas Water Development Board to issue additional general obligation bonds of an amount not exceeding $200 million.

• Proposition 3 would allow the legislature to temporarily exempt a portion of certain property located in a declared disaster area from property taxes.

• Proposition 4 would prohibit the state from imposing or collecting individual income tax.

• Proposition 5 would automatically take the sales tax revenue received from the sales of sporting goods and give it to the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department and the Texas Historical Commission.

• Proposition 6 would increase the maximum bond amount for the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas from $3 billion to $6 billion.

• Proposition 7 would increase distributions from $300 million per year to $600 million to the available school fund.

• Proposition 8 would use money from the economic stabilization fund to create a flood infrastructure fund as a special fund in the state treasury.

• Proposition 9 would exempt property taxes for precious metals held in a precious metal depository located in Texas.

• Proposition 10 would allow a state agency or political subdivision to transfer a law enforcement animal to its handler or another qualified caretaker in certain circumstances.

For more information on these statewide propositions, visit www.votetexas.gov.