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Be an informed voter with Teach the Vote
If the mail moves as expected, by the time this magazine arrives at your home, you will be able to cast your ballot during early voting for the 2022 Texas primaries. (Early voting runs from Feb. 14-25, with primary election day March 1.) Don’t discount the primaries— these elections are crucial to helping determine who will win the elections in November and make critical decisions in the Texas Legislature, on the State Board of Education, and at a statewide level. ATPE encourages all Texas educators to vote for candidates who support your public education priorities. Ten years ago, in order to help Texas voters make informed decisions about which candidates do in fact support public education, ATPE launched our nonpartisan advocacy site, TeachtheVote.org. Since then, voters have visited the site more than 1.1 million times to use the easily searchable database of candidate profiles, read blog posts with up-to-date election news and info on the most important education issues, and much more.
ATPE’s nonpartisan advocacy site has been educating voters for the past 10 years
BY MICHAEL SPURLIN
RESEARCH CANDIDATES
When you visit Teach the Vote, you’ll see a “Candidates” option on the main navigation bar. Click the link to access the database of candidate profiles. You’ll find profiles of candidates running for the State Board of Education, both chambers of the Texas Legislature, and selected statewide offices. The site is not limited to just Republican and Democratic candidates but also contains information on third-party and independent candidates.
Enter your address to find candidates running in your district or zoom into specific locations using the interactive map. You may also search for individual candidates by name or access candidate lists by district number.
Each profile contains a plethora of information to aid you in making your electoral decisions. You’ll find basic information, such as whether the candidate is an incumbent, challenger, or candidate running for an open seat, as well as links to candidate websites and social media accounts. You can also view research compiled by ATPE lobbyists, including personal information about the candidate, prior election bids or offices held, notable education-related endorsements, and links to significant Teach the Vote blog posts mentioning the candidate. For those candidates who have one, you’ll also find details on their legislative voting record on prominent education bills.
Additionally, for candidates who returned them, you will find answers to the 2022 ATPE Candidate Survey. This survey consists of open-ended questions concerning education issues. Candidate responses are not edited in any way by ATPE before they are posted, which gives the candidates an opportunity to talk directly to voters like yourself. These survey answers, along with the other profile information, will empower you to make informed decisions and vote for candidates who support public education. If a candidate in your district has not answered ATPE’s survey, encourage them to do so! Candidates may contact government@atpe.org for additional details.
Texas political news can change quickly—much more quickly than a print magazine can capture. To keep up with the latest news, visit the Teach the Vote Advocacy Blog. ATPE lobbyists diligently capture all the latest election and education news while also providing detailed analysis so you can better understand the impact made. You can even locate blog posts on a certain topic using the search feature. Don’t have time to check the blog each day? Sign up for the Teach the Vote Week in Review email, where we highlight the biggest stories that week, or follow Teach the Vote on Twitter (@TeachTheVote).
If you are new to following Texas education and politics news, Teach the Vote has you covered there as well. Simply visit “The Issues” tab to learn more about the multitude of issues facing Texas educators today. These explainers will guide you through issues that will be under consideration by your Texas lawmakers, as well as ATPE’s official position on these issues.
Finally, under the “Take Action” tab, click “Resources” to access links to outside organizations that will help you learn more about the candidates and the election. These include links to the official websites of political parties, nonpartisan voter guides from organizations such as the League of Women Voters, and more.
Texas educators like you have a difficult job, and the pandemic has amplified many of the long-standing problems facing public education. These may seem daunting and overwhelming, but you are not powerless to confront them. With your vote, you can elect lawmakers who will help provide you with the resources and solutions to solve these problems and strengthen Texas public education. Use the tools and resources on ATPE’s TeachtheVote.org today to decide which candidates you think are best suited to do so.
