With 249 counties reporting some results to the secretary of state's office, all 17 constitutional amendments on the Texas ballot were poised to become law. The propositions with the most support would either expand property tax exemptions or prohibit new taxes, while voters also favored measures aimed at funding infrastructure and research.
The overview
As of 11:05 p.m. Nov. 4, unofficial results from the Texas Secretary of State showed that Proposition 10 was the most widely-supported constitutional amendment, with 90% of Texas voters in favor. The measure would allow a future state legislature to create a property tax exemption for someone rebuilding a home after it is completely destroyed in a fire.
Proposition 6, which would prohibit new taxes on the purchase and sale of financial assets, was the closest vote, with about 58% of voters supporting the measure. Proposition 17, a proposal to prevent property values from increasing on land with border security infrastructure, had support from about 61% of Texas voters.
More details
The following vote counts are courtesy of the Texas Secretary of State's election results portal, which is updated periodically.
Proposition 1: Texas State Technical College funding
There were 1,418,915 (68.7%) votes for Proposition 1 and 645,346 (31.3%) votes against.
Proposition 2: Ban on capital gains taxes
There were 1,410,752 (68.2%) votes for Proposition 2 and 656,714 (31.8%) votes against.
Proposition 3: Tightening bail rules
There were 1,316,665 (63.8%) votes for Proposition 3 and 747,214 (36.2%) votes against.
Proposition 4: Water supply funding
There were 1,450,951 (70.5%) votes for Proposition 4 and 606,269 (29.5%) votes against.
Proposition 5: Animal feed tax exemption
There were 1,335,133 (65.9%) votes for Proposition 5 and 691,986 (34.1%) votes against.
Proposition 6: Ban on securities transaction taxes
There were 1,169,594 (58%) votes for Proposition 6 and 848,476 (42%) votes against.
Proposition 7: Tax exemption for military spouses
There were 1,789,289 (87%) votes for Proposition 7 and 267,349 (13%) votes against.
Proposition 8: Ban on death taxes
There were 1,548,889 (74.9%) votes for Proposition 8 and 518,144 (25.1%) votes against.
Proposition 9: Business tax exemption
There were 1,366,935 (67.2%) votes for Proposition 9 and 667,928 (32.8%) votes against.
Proposition 10: Tax exemption for homes destroyed by fire
There were 1,857,211 (90%) votes for Proposition 10 and 201,844 (10%) votes against.
Proposition 11: Homestead exemption for elderly and disabled homeowners
There were 1,639,696 (79.6%) votes for Proposition 11 and 421,044 (20.4%) votes against.
Proposition 12: Judicial oversight
There were 1,307,462 (64.6%) votes for Proposition 12 and 717,356 (35.4%) votes against.
Proposition 13: Increasing the homestead exemption
There were 1,689,490 (81.8%) votes for Proposition 13 and 375,375 (18.2%) votes against.
Proposition 14: State dementia research institute
There were 1,395,995 (68.1%) votes for Proposition 14 and 654,134 (31.9%) votes against.
Proposition 15: Parental rights
There were 1,490,349 (72.3%) votes for Proposition 15 and 570,987 (27.7%) votes against.
Proposition 16: Requiring citizenship to vote
There were 1,550,647 (75%) votes for Proposition 16 and 516,430 (25%) votes against.
Proposition 17: Border security tax exemption
There were 1,236,331 (61%) votes for Proposition 17 and 791,855 (39%) votes against.
All results are unofficial until canvassed. Visit www.communityimpact.com/voter-guide/election-results to see results from all local and state elections in your community.
Updated 9:10 p.m. Nov. 4
As of 9:10 p.m. Nov. 4, 221 of Texas' 254 counties and 23% of polling locations had reported some election results to the secretary of state's office. Texas voters weighed in on 17 proposed amendments to the state constitution, ranging from $20 billion in funding for water supply projects to a $125,000 tax exemption for business owners.
For more details about what each of 17 state propositions would do, scroll down to the original version of this story.
What to know
The following vote counts are courtesy of the Texas Secretary of State's election results portal, which is updated periodically.
Proposition 1: Texas State Technical College funding
There were 988,002 (68.4%) votes for Proposition 1 and 456,330 (31.6%) votes against.
Proposition 2: Ban on capital gains taxes
There were 955,159 (66%) votes for Proposition 2 and 491,515 (34%) votes against.
Proposition 3: Tightening bail rules
There were 906,543 (62.8%) votes for Proposition 3 and 536,140 (37.2%) votes against.
Proposition 4: Water supply funding
There were 1,011,380 (70%) votes for Proposition 4 and 428,082 (30%) votes against.
Proposition 5: Animal feed tax exemption
There were 906,051 (64%) votes for Proposition 5 and 510,303 (36%) votes against.
Proposition 6: Ban on securities transaction taxes
There were 796,009 (56.9%) votes for Proposition 6 and 604,234 (43.1%) votes against.
Proposition 7: Tax exemption for military spouses
There were 1,238,248 (86.2%) votes for Proposition 7 and 198,687 (13.8%) votes against.
Proposition 8: Ban on death taxes
There were 1,052,583 (73%) votes for Proposition 8 and 390,463 (27%) votes against.
Proposition 9: Business tax exemption
There were 931,769 (65.6%) votes for Proposition 9 and 489,610 (34.4%) votes against.
Proposition 10: Tax exemption for homes destroyed by fire
There were 1,288,924 (89.6%) votes for Proposition 10 and 149,382 (10.4%) votes against.
Proposition 11: Homestead exemption for elderly and disabled homeowners
There were 1,137,991 (79.1%) votes for Proposition 11 and 300,904 (20.9%) votes against.
Proposition 12: Judicial oversight
There were 883,749 (62.5%) votes for Proposition 12 and 530,850 (37.5%) votes against.
Proposition 13: Increasing the homestead exemption
There were 1,172,607 (81.3%) votes for Proposition 13 and 269,240 (18.7%) votes against.
Proposition 14: State dementia research institute
There were 982,754 (68.7%) votes for Proposition 14 and 448,702 (31.3%) votes against.
Proposition 15: Parental rights
There were 1,012,804 (70.4%) votes for Proposition 15 and 425,551 (25.6%) votes against.
Proposition 16: Requiring citizenship to vote
There were 1,056,529 (73.3%) votes for Proposition 16 and 385,591 (26.7%) votes against.
Proposition 17: Border security tax exemption
There were 835,803 (59%) votes for Proposition 17 and 580,065 (41%) votes against.
Community Impact will update this article as additional voting totals are released. All results are unofficial until canvassed.
Visit www.communityimpact.com/voter-guide/election-results to see results from all local and state elections in your community.
Published 7:26 p.m. Nov. 4
The Texas secretary of state's office has released its first round of early voting results for 17 proposed amendments to the state constitution. As of 7:16 p.m. Nov. 4, 31 of Texas' 254 counties had reported some results to the secretary of state.
For real-time results from all local and state elections in your community, visit www.communityimpact.com/voter-guide/election-results.
Texas voters had the opportunity to weigh in on property tax exemptions, funding for water supply projects, restrictions on bail and more. Each statewide proposition was approved by at least two-thirds of Texas lawmakers before being placed on the ballot.
What's happening
The following early voting results are courtesy of the Texas Secretary of State's election results portal, which is updated periodically.
Proposition 1: Texas State Technical College funding
Proposition 1 would create two new funds to support the Texas State Technical College System, with up to $52 million appropriated this year. The money would be managed by the state comptroller and used by the system’s board of regents to purchase books and materials; construct and repair buildings; and acquire equipment or land.
There were 64,805 early votes for Proposition 1 and 30,124 early votes against it.
Proposition 2: Ban on capital gains taxes
Proposition 2 would prohibit the Texas Legislature from imposing any future taxes on capital gains, which is income received from selling an asset. Texas does not currently have such a tax.
There were 68,308 early votes for Proposition 2 and 26,982 early votes against it.
Proposition 3: Tightening bail rules
Proposition 3 seeks to require judges to deny bail for certain felony offenses, such as murder, aggravated assault and human trafficking, keeping more defendants in jail as they await trial. The state would be required to demonstrate that a defendant is a flight risk or threat to public safety before bail is denied.
There were 61,865 early votes for Proposition 3 and 33,020 early votes against it.
Proposition 4: Water supply funding
Proposition 4 would allocate $20 billion to fund new water supply projects and improve existing systems over the next 20 years. Beginning in 2027, the money would come from existing state sales tax revenue and be deposited in the Texas Water Fund, meaning no new taxes would be created. Without the new funding, experts say Texas' water crisis could deepen.
“We’ve got 1,500+ people moving to Texas every day, and not one of them is bringing a single drop of water with them,” Dean Sharp, who leads the management division of the Texas American Water Works Association, said Oct. 16.
There were 67,606 early votes for Proposition 4 and 26,843 early votes against it.
Proposition 5: Animal feed tax exemption
Proposition 5 would create a property tax exemption for stores that sell animal feed.
There were 65,231 early votes for Proposition 5 and 27,921 early votes against it.
Proposition 6: Ban on securities transaction taxes
Proposition 6 would bar lawmakers from imposing taxes on the purchase and sale of financial assets—known as securities transactions—or requiring financial market operators to pay an “occupation tax” to conduct business.
There were 56,391 early votes for Proposition 6 and 36,281 early votes against it.
Proposition 7: Tax exemption for military spouses
Proposition 7 would establish a tax exemption for the surviving spouse of a veteran who died from an illness related to their military service.
There were 80,891 early votes for Proposition 7 and 13,885 early votes against it.
Proposition 8: Ban on death taxes
Proposition 8 seeks to prohibit the state from imposing future taxes on a deceased person’s estate or an inheritance passed to their heirs. Neither tax currently exists in Texas.
There were 71,600 early votes for Proposition 8 and 23,537 early votes against it.
Proposition 9: Business tax exemption
Proposition 9 would raise a tax exemption on businesses' personal property, such as equipment, furniture and vehicles, from $2,500 to $125,000. Estimates show that the average Texas small-business owner could save about $2,500-$3,500 if the $125,000 exemption passes.
“For the bigger companies, a couple of thousand dollars [in savings] isn’t going to be that big a deal for them,” Jeff Burdett, Texas director for the National Federation of Independent Businesses, told Community Impact. “But the average-size business here at NFIB has 10 employees, and half of our [members] have five or less employees—that is actually money that they can use to invest back in their business and pay their employees more.”
There were 64,056 early votes for Proposition 9 and 29,607 early votes against it.
Proposition 10: Tax exemption for homes destroyed by fire
Proposition 10 would allow a future state legislature to create a property tax exemption for someone rebuilding a home after it is completely destroyed in a fire.
There were 83,773 early votes for Proposition 10 and 11,053 early votes against it.
Proposition 11: Homestead exemption for elderly and disabled homeowners
Proposition 11 would raise the stackable property tax exemption for homeowners who are over 65 years old or have a disability from $10,000 to $60,000. If both Proposition 11 and Proposition 13 are approved, elderly and disabled homeowners would see a $200,000 exemption on this year's tax bill.
There were 73,777 early votes for Proposition 11 and 21,270 early votes against it.
Proposition 12: Judicial oversight
Proposition 12 seeks to rework the 13-member State Commission on Judicial Conduct, allowing the governor to appoint more than half of the commissioners. The measure would also requiring most sanctions for judges accused of misconduct to be issued publicly, which state lawmakers said would increase transparency into judicial misconduct investigations and speed up the process for commissioners to address complaints against Texas judges.
There were 61,236 early votes for Proposition 12 and 32,032 early votes against it.
Proposition 13: Increasing the homestead exemption
Proposition 13 would raise the property tax exemption on a Texas homeowner’s main residence, known as a homestead exemption, from $100,000 to $140,000. If approved, the increased exemption would appear on this year's tax bill.
Sen. Paul Bettencourt, the Houston Republican who authored the legislation, estimated in June that the average Texas homeowner would see about $484 in annual savings if the tax cuts are approved by voters, with roughly $950 in savings for seniors and people with disabilities. These estimates do not account for potential tax rate increases by local governments.
"The state of Texas makes a massive commitment to make sure that you can stay in your home for as long as you want to, because these exemptions, once you vote for them in November, will be there for as long as you own the home," Bettencourt said.
There were 79,492 early votes for Proposition 13 and 15,622 early votes against it.
Proposition 14: State dementia research institute
Proposition 14 would allocate $3 billion to create the Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. The allocation would last for 10 years and be used to fund grants to higher education institutions, medical facilities and related programs. No new state taxes would be created, as funding would come from existing state revenue and donations to the institute.
The proposal received nearly unanimous support from state lawmakers earlier this year, although some Texas House Republicans expressed concerns about creating a new government agency.
"For families dealing with this [dementia], it would help attract the best and brightest experts in neurodegenerative diseases, including specialty doctors and clinicians, which in turn can result in increased access to care, improved quality of care and that enhanced support that's so critical for patients and their caregivers," Melissa Sanchez, the Texas public policy director for the Alzheimer’s Association, told Community Impact.
There were 62,022 early votes for Proposition 14 and 32,279 early votes against it.
Proposition 15: Parental rights
Proposition 15 would add language to the Texas Constitution stating that parents have the right to “exercise care, custody and control” of their children and determine how to raise them.
There were 67,310 early votes for Proposition 15 and 27,405 early votes against it.
Proposition 16: Requiring citizenship to vote
Proposition 16 would enshrine in the Texas Constitution that people who are not U.S. citizens may not vote in Texas elections. Only U.S. citizens are currently eligible to vote under existing state law.
There were 70,275 early votes for Proposition 16 and 24,783 early votes against it.
Proposition 17: Border security tax exemption
Proposition 17 seeks to exempt increases in a property’s value from taxation if the land is along the Texas-Mexico border and the value rises due to the installation of border security infrastructure.
There were 62,025 early votes for Proposition 17 and 31,555 early votes against it.
Stay tuned
Results from ballots cast Nov. 4 had not been released as of press time. Polls closed at 7 p.m. statewide, although voters who were in line by 7 p.m. were still able to vote.
Community Impact will update this article as additional voting totals are released. All results are unofficial until canvassed.
Visit www.communityimpact.com/voter-guide/election-results to see results from all local and state elections in your community.
