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Frequently Asked Questions

Get Informed

How much time will this save us?

A lot. In even numbered years there is always a general election in November.  That's when we vote for President, U.S. Congress, State and County officials.  If we add a few city or school district races to that, we'll have eliminated an entire trip to the polls in May (and maybe an extra runoff election too)!

Have other cities around here done this, and how did it turn out?

Yes!  Missouri City moved their local elections from May to November, and they increased their voter turnout from around 5000 to around 25,000 - a five fold improvement!

What if I'm in an "unincorporated" area?

You MUST be a registered voter in an incorporated (annexed) area of Pearland to sign the petition.  If you are allowed to vote for Pearland Mayor and City Council, then you can sign.  If you aren't sure, just click this button to go to the Pearland GIS page, enter your street address and find out of you are "within city limits."  If you get an empty frame on the screen just click past it.

What about the school board election?

In Texas, school boards link their elections with a city in their district.  That means that when the city election moves, the school board election will almost certainly move too.

Will that make the November ballot much longer?

No. Including both the city and the school district, there are usually between four and seven local races.  Depending on your district, you probably had almost 30 races on last November's ballot. Adding a few more won't seem like a burden.

Won't straight-ticket voting cause problems?

No.  Straight-ticket voting has now been eliminated by the Texas Legislature.  That means you'll have to look at every race on the ballot in November anyway.

Can I sign the petition if I'm not registered to vote?

No.  If you aren't registered to vote in Pearland, this is a great time to register!  30 days after that, you can sign our petition.

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