By noon on Wednesday, 540 voters—nearly 24 percent of this county’s registered voters—had already cast ballots in advance of the Nov. 8 general election. If experience is any indicator, Hemphill County will already be on pace to turn out over 700 early voters by the time the courthouse doors close tomorrow (Friday, Nov. 4) at 5 pm.

Polling places will be open from 7 am to 7 pm on Tuesday in all eight Hemphill County precinct locations, and at the Higgins Multipurpose Building for voters in the CISD voter-approval tax rate election.

Included on this year’s consolidated ballot—in addition to contested races for the state’s next governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, land commissioner, agriculture commission, and comptroller—are two special elections for voters in the city of Canadian and Canadian Independent School District.

In response to a successful petition drive, Canadian is holding an election to legalize the sale of all alcoholic beverages, including mixed drinks, in the city limits. A “for” vote will legalize alcohol sales in Canadian. An “against” vote will defeat the measure.

In addition, Canadian ISD is conducting a voter-approval tax rate election, seeking voters’ approval of the tax rate proposed by the board of trustees for a proposed tax rate of $1.1646. That rate is almost 11 cents lower than last year’s, but requires voter approval because three pennies— referred to in Texas’ school finance law as “golden pennies”—were added to the Maintenance and Operations (M&O) tax rate. The Interest and Sinking (I&S) rate was lowered by an offsetting three pennies.

Despite a total tax rate that is almost 11 cents lower than last year’s, and the lowest school tax rate in over 30 years, the proposed tax rate will effectively raise over $2.7 million more in revenue than was raised in 2021.

A vote “for” CISD’s Proposition A will ratify the ad valorem tax rate proposed by the school board. A vote “against” will defeat the tax rate proposal.

For voters wishing to know more about what is on their local ballot, copies of this year’s nonpartisan League of Women Voters Guide to the Election, in both English and Spanish, are still available at The Canadian Record office at 211 Main St., along with brochures offering a detailed guide to the voter-approval tax rate election.

Sample ballots, as well as links to other helpful information, are also available online at co.hemphill.tx.us/Hemphill.ElectionInformation. The League of Women voters guide is available online in both English and Spanish at https://www.vote/411.org/.