by Steve Fought
On the fourth of July, 249 years ago, the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence. This document announced America’s political separation from Great Britain and initiated a process through which we would obtain self-governance. Today, Americans enthusiastically celebrate our independence on the anniversary of that event and Georgetown takes advantage of the resultant freedoms throughout the year with “Georgetown Votes,” where “Votes” is both a noun and a verb.
Just 55 years ago, Georgetown was situated in the far reaches of the Hill Country. There were massive open spaces between Georgetown (pop. 6,500) and tiny Round Rock (pop. 3,000); Williamson County was home to 37,000 residents. We were happily isolated and insulated from the population and politics of Austin.
Not so, any more. Georgetown now has over 100,000 residents. Williamson County has a population of 750,000 and is forecast to have 1.6 million by 2050. The open spaces have filled in, and what happens in Austin matters in Georgetown and throughout Williamson County.
From the Statehouse to Your Street
Examples abound, from legislative changes affecting annexation, building codes, school funding, and water restrictions, to TxDOT projects and even the ERCOT grid. We can’t afford the luxury of disengagement, or the wait-and-see attitude of the past. We have to be at the political table and have a voice in the discussions to protect our interests. If we are going to continue to thrive after these 55 years of growth, we need Georgetown Votes (the noun) and we need the political class to know Georgetown votes (the verb).
Georgetown’s voter turnout is sparse at times, with some significant differences in voter turnout between the voting districts or residential developments. When there is a bond issue on the Georgetown or Williamson-County ballot, conventional wisdom says you have to “Get Sun City and The Creeks (Berry and Brushy)” for the measure to pass. Sun City votes. The Creeks vote.
Georgetown’s 2016 general election revealed some specific differences. In 2016, Georgetown’s population was just over 65,000. Each of the seven City Council Districts had approximately the same number of people (9,200). There were three races for the GISD Board of Trustees (Places 1, 2, and 3). Just over 2,700 voters cast ballots. Over 1,400 of these voters (approximately 50 percent) were likely from District 3. District 3 was (and still is) predominately comprised of Sun City residents who have no children in Georgetown schools. Nonetheless, they voted in higher numbers and percentages in the GISD election than the total population, and were likely the determinant of the outcome. Sun City votes.
The pattern repeated in subsequent years. The 2019 general election had, among other items, three City Council seats on the ballot. Approximately 3,500 voters went to the polls. Of that, roughly 3,000 were from District 3 and 4 (predominately Sun City). The District 7 City Council race only had 425 votes cast (220 for the incumbent and 205 for the challenger). The incumbent, having won by 15 votes, called it a landslide and, at a 4 percent margin, it was! Sun City votes. Others, not so much it appears.
Culture v. Math
It’s tempting to credit Sun City votes to a concentrated effort to get out the vote, or maybe even a community culture of voting. However, there is another more obvious explanation. Each voting district contains roughly the same number of residents (by law). However, the residents of District 3 and District 4 are primarily in Sun City, where nearly all residents are 55 or over, making them 100 percent voter-age, by definition. That, in and of itself, explains most of the disparities in the statistics we reviewed earlier.
Policy wonks, looking at overall low voter turnout statistics, often assert that the apparent voter apathy in nearly any district can be explained by the absence of a contentious issue on the ballot, or the conclusion that a single vote doesn’t really make much difference, so there’s not much incentive to vote. I can accept the former argument but I take exception to the latter.
Votes Matter
Consider that it would have only taken 16 votes to change the results in the 2019 District 7 City Council race. In 2000, in the infamous and hotly contested Florida Presidential Election recount, George Bush won by 0.009 percent (537 votes). Every vote matters.
Regardless of the cause, I’m most concerned that low voter turnout opens the door for radical groups and single-issue candidates to determine the outcome. These groups can and will marshal their supporters. With a low turnout, bringing even a modest number of additional voters to the polls, all of whom vote for the one measure, can determine the outcome in their sole favor and quite possibly to the detriment of the general population.
We can at least partially alleviate all these concerns, and increase the reliability of the voting outcome, by increasing voter turnout. In my ideal world, every qualified voter in Georgetown would register to vote, and vote, in every election for which they are eligible. I know that’s an impossible objective, but I also think if we start with the population known already for its higher voting patterns, we can march in the right direction. And that’s where the 55+ cohort comes into play.
The 55+ population has a high propensity to vote, and an accumulated store of wisdom and experience that others do not. We’ve been through the mill and the grinder; we know what works, and what doesn’t. We’ve been there, done that, got the T-shirt, and we “know stuff.” Bottom line: 55+ votes. And those votes are informed votes. So, if we’re going to increase the overall voter turnout, it’s reasonable to begin by focusing on the 55+ population; hence this article, in the Thriving After 55 section.
Get Registered. Get Informed.
To vote, you need to be a qualified voter, be registered to vote, and obtain a ballot. Fortunately you can tend to all of this online at the Williamson County website. It’s an excellent, easy to navigate, site. Visit wilcotx.gov and click the ELECTIONS tab. Using the menu on the left, you can register, view a sample ballot, monitor voting turnout, and view results. If you have questions or problems, call the helpful folks at the Elections Department at 512-943-1630.
Once registered, you can vote in person (at many locations) or by mail. Gina and I have voted by mail for the last five years because it is convenient and, as we are over 65, we automatically qualify for the mail-in ballot.
I strongly encourage you to make your voice heard. Make it happen. Georgetown Votes (the verb) and Georgetown votes matter (the noun).
Go for it!