At the beginning of this month we saw Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sander face off in Iowa (see post here). That kicked off the primary season that is showing signs of being every bit of rough and tumble as the 2008 primary. For the most part Texans have been spectators as seen in the February Election Calendar. Texas is not scheduled to vote until March 1st on what is known as Super Tuesday. The reality is that March 1st is really just the day we find out the results, because starting on February 16, 2016 you can cast your ballot with early voting.

The good news is that you can cast your vote now and avoid the lines! The bad news is that you better have registered to vote 30 days ago. Otherwise you will not be on the roles. Also you have to bring a valid photo ID. If you are registered to vote now would be a good time to vote instead of waiting until November. That way if you run into any trouble you will discover it now instead of later. Early voting is great because there are no lines like there can be on election days. Once you have voted, it means you have a voice.

Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died on Saturday and the effects of his passing are being seen today. President Obama should be able to replace him, but Republican Senators are being disingenuous and refusing to consider anyone. This could mean the candidate that you vote for could choose his replacement! Now the presidential ballot is not the only reason to vote. Primaries are always full of down ballot candidates and in Texas this means more than the presidential ballot. In Harris County we have contested races for Congressional Districts, Sheriff's office, District Attorney's office and Judicial benches. It is important to vote and support these candidates. They are asking for you to hire them, listen to what they have to say and vote. The Katy Area Democrats are doing their part by hosting candidates in contested races at our meeting. If you plan to vote leave a comment and let us know. Don't forget to join to get updates.