What Is the May 4 Uniform Election?
Election will include local, non-partisan races such as school boards, MUDs, city officials, and the county appraisal board.
Uniform Election dates are established by the State of Texas. This election will include local, non-partisan races such as school districts, Municipal Utility Districts (MUDs), city officials, and the county appraisal board.
Local boards and councils decide how much tax to collect and how that money will be spent. School districts decide what your children and grandchildren will be exposed to in the classroom. Some MUD boards are stacked with representation from big development companies and have little or no citizen representation. The Texas Democrat Party's Project LIFT specifically proclaims a “special focus on winning local, non-partisan races.” This is why your vote in these local races is so important!
Election Day is May 4 and Early Voting begins April 22.
How to Research the Candidates
With the exception of the Montgomery County Appraisal District Board races, most of the positions you will find on your Uniform Election ballot will be more localized to your city, school district, or neighborhood, so voter guides are not as readily available for these elections. This makes it more important than ever for you to do your research.
View your personal sample ballot to see which races will be included on your ballot. You can print out your sample ballot, mark your choices, and take a paper copy with you into the voting booth (cell phone usage is not allowed in the voting booth).
The Montgomery County Republican Party interviews local officials for our Get to Know Your Local Officials page. If the candidate is an incumbent, visit this page to check for an interview.
Montgomery County Eagle Forum dedicated their April 4th meeting to covering the local, non-partisan races and MUD elections included in the Uniform Election. Watch the video for an overview of the election and to hear from some of the candidates.
The Montgomery County Tea Party PAC vetted some of the Uniform Election candidates and is the only conservative organization we’re aware of that published recommendations for the May 4th Election. You can view their candidate questionnaires and recommendations at US Vote Smart.
For MUD districts, you may need to contact your MUD directly and then follow these tips for researching the candidates because many MUD elections are conducted by the individual MUD district instead of Montgomery County Elections; therefore, they will not be included on your Uniform Election ballot. See “More About MUD Elections” below.
Beware of political action committees using “Republican” in their name. This does not mean they are affiliated with the Republican Party. Some of these groups print voter guides exclusively during election season to get their candidates elected.
More tips for researching the candidates may be found here. Remember to always do your own research before heading to the polls.
More About MUD Elections
Some voters will have the opportunity to vote in Municipal Utility District (MUD) board elections during the May 4 Election. MUDs are taxing entities with notoriously low turnout elections. Your vote could be the deciding factor in who is making decisions on your behalf!
Many MUD elections are conducted by the individual MUD district instead of Montgomery County Elections; therefore, they will not be included on your Uniform Election ballot. If you are in a MUD district but don't see a MUD board race listed on your personal sample ballot, it is very important to contact your MUD directly to make sure you don't miss out on electing your MUD board representatives.
More information shared by Montgomery County Eagle Forum:
$500 MILLION in BONDS will be issued by the San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA) for replacing 48 miles of fresh water lines and the waste water treatment facility. So you can now expect your water bills to double and possibly triple over the next decade. We desperately need to elect strong fiscal conservatives to run our MUDs.
Projections of huge increases for water & sewer bills:
30 sec. - Example of HUGE increases for water & sewer bills
20 sec. - People may not afford to fill their swimming pools
We need to END homeowner subsidies for commercial developments.
We need to STOP secret MUD elections and include them on the November General Election ballots.
We need to encourage transparency with streaming and posting of all Board Meetings
View the Montgomery County MASTER SAMPLE BALLOT to see new MUD districts being developed - $$ MULTI MILLIONS of $$ in bonds passing, some with only 1-3 registered voters in the district. These are found at the bottom of the Master Sample Ballot. This is an eye-opener!
Montgomery County Eagle Forum covered the Uniform Election (including a presentation on MUDs) and Sheriff Runoff Election at their April 4th meeting. Watch the video and view presentation materials here.
New County Appraisal District Board Elections
For the first time, voters will have a direct voice in selecting representatives to advocate for them on the board. Read more here.
Precinct 110 Chair Luis Pedraza presented an overview of the new board positions at the April 4th Montgomery County Eagle Forum meeting and several candidates were on hand to introduce themselves. Click here to watch the video and access Pedraza’s presentation materials.
Decide Today When You Will Vote
By heading to the polls, you can influence the direction of Montgomery County! We encourage you to choose a day to vote and add it to your calendar today so you can help elect Conservative Republicans to these important local offices.