Texas has one of the longest state constitutions in the United States, and it is amended often. Changes must be approved by two-thirds of both houses of the legislature and then by a majority of voters. On 2 November 2021 Texans voted on eight proposed amendments. All eight passed.
The propositions
| No. | What it did | Yes vote |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Allowed charitable raffles at rodeo venues | 83.8% |
| 2 | Let counties issue bonds for transportation and infrastructure in blighted areas | 63.1% |
| 3 | Barred the state and local governments from prohibiting or limiting religious services or organisations | 62.4% |
| 4 | Changed eligibility requirements for certain judicial offices | 58.8% |
| 5 | Let the State Commission on Judicial Conduct investigate and discipline candidates for judicial office | 59.2% |
| 6 | Gave residents of nursing homes and assisted-living facilities the right to designate an essential caregiver who cannot be barred from in-person visits | 87.9% |
| 7 | Kept the homestead tax limit for surviving spouses aged 55 or over of people with disabilities | 87.1% |
| 8 | Allowed the homestead tax exemption for surviving spouses of military members fatally injured in the line of duty, not only those killed in action | 87.8% |
Figures are from the official results as compiled by Wikipedia from the Texas Secretary of State.
The pandemic amendments
Two measures were direct responses to Covid-19. Proposition 3 followed restrictions on gatherings that affected churches in 2020. Proposition 6 followed months in which families were unable to visit relatives in care homes; it was the most popular measure on the ballot.
The judicial amendments
Propositions 4 and 5 concerned the courts. Proposition 4 raised the experience required for some judgeships and required that candidates have held a law licence in Texas for a set period. Proposition 5 closed a gap: before it, the State Commission on Judicial Conduct could discipline sitting judges but not candidates who were not yet judges.
Why it matters
Texas elects its judges in partisan elections, so rules on who may run and how candidates must behave matter. Our article on how Pennsylvania elects its judges describes a similar system.