Yes!
You Do Need to Vote on Annexation Proposition

Q:  The letter I received from San Antonio regarding the Special Election for the Annexation Proposition indicates that….
“Leaving the ballot blank or voting for both Option 1 and 2 will result in authorization of Option 2.”
Does that mean that I don’t have to vote for the Annexation Proposition?  

A:  It is imperative that everyone in the annexation areas go to the poll and vote AND select Option 2, No Annexation.  If you leave this Annexation Proposition blank or if you mark both options, your vote will not count.  

Recently, the Attorney General, Ken Paxton, responded to Sen. Donna Campbell’s request regarding the statement made on the letter from the City of San Antonio that states….”Leaving the ballot blank or voting for both Option 1 and 2 will result in authorization of Option 2”.
The AG responded with Opinion No. KP-0221, October 22, 2018 as follows:
In the instance of an unmarked or blank ballot, the voter might have intended to signal to the City that the voter opposed either type of regulation, might have misunderstood the instructions, or might have simply neglected to mark a choice. In either instance, it is impossible for the counting officials to clearly ascertain the voter's intent, much less a clear intent to vote for Option 2.
Election Code section 65.009 provides that a vote for a measure shall be counted if the voter's intent is clearly ascertainable. The City's plan to count ballots voting for both propositions or left blank as a vote in favor of Option 2 is contrary to this provision because such ballots do not indicate a clearly ascertainable intent for Option 2.

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 Voting Discrepancies

We've had several reports of ballots missing the annexation proposition, so please be vigilant!

FIRST STEP:

Confirm that you are in the proposed annexation area by using the City of San Antonio maps linked below:

SECOND STEP:

The polling clerk must confirm that your ballot has the Proposition A (Annexation Proposition).  Tell the polling clerk that it will be the very last item on the ballot and is called Proposition A (Annexation Proposition).  (See sample ballot for details.)

THIRD STEP:

Refuse the ballot if the Annexation Proposition is not on the ballot.  If the proposition does NOT appear on your ballot, let your on-site election officials know immediately.  They can work with you to give you a new correct ballot with the proposition on it.

FOURTH STEP:

You should report any discrepancies to the Bexar County Elections Administrator Jacquelyn F. Callanen at 210-335-8683 (VOTE) if she was not already notified during the ballot exchange process. Get the name of the polling clerk and report any problems you encounter on the online HAA Incident Report!  HAA now has a Voting Incident Reporting form linked on our website, and you can also fill it out HERE.  

You can also review your rights as a voter in Texas at https://www.votetexas.gov/your-rights/ and either call the number on that page and/or go to the Federal Department of Justice website (https://www.justice.gov/crt/complaint/votintake/index.php) if you would like to file a formal complaint.


And remember to select OPTION 2 - NO ANNEXATION!

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