9 Elected Positions I Was Completely Ignorant About Last Time I Voted

Sometimes, I'm a bit of a hypocrite.  As much as I talk about the importance of local government and how much of a difference voting can make, there are many positions I have voted for that...

I don't actually know what the position does. Yikes!

MY VOW TO YOU: 

Hypocrite no more! This year, I shall learn what I'm voting for!

Here are 9 elected positions that I could not explain before today:

 1. Lieutenant Governor 

In most states, the Lieutenant Governor is like the Vice President, a position without much power.

But not in Texas. Oh no. In Texas, it's more like:

The Texas Lieutenant Governor decides which laws the state senate will hear and controls the budgeting process. More specifically, the Lieutenant Governor "establishes all special and standing committees, appoints all chairpersons and members, and assigns all Senate legislation to the committee of his or her choice".

For more information, go here or here.

2. Attorney General 

The Attorney General acts as the lawyer for the state (meaning if Texas sues Oklahoma, this person would represent us). This position enforces state consumer protection laws, collects child support and administers funds to crime victims. Also, if someone brings a case against the Texas, this person defends the state laws.

For more information, go here.

3. Comptroller of Public Accounts

The person in this postion handles our tax money. But wait! Before you do this: 

 Remember that Texas does not have state income tax, just sales and local property tax. The state comptroller of public accounts is like our state accountant. They count up our money and tell the legistlation how much they can spend. 

For more information, go here.

4. Court of Appeals Judges

If you sue me for having a ridiculous haircut and win, I can appeal my case to a higher court. The appeals judge doesn't hear evidence from the prosecution and defense, but rather determines if the ruling goes against any state laws. 

Here's a pretty cool video to remind us all how the court system works.

Also, I found this guy who has written a song about the court system. Warning: the song is pretty catchy.

 5. Family District Judge

Because Harris County is so large, we have specialized district judges. Family district judges handle cases related to custody, CPS and....

 adoption. 

For more information, go here.  

6. District Clerk

From what I've read, this person is like the ultimate note-taker for the district courts. The keep the records organized. Very. Organized. 

For more information, go here.  

7. County Clerk

Election day is kind of a big deal for the county clerk, who administers and organizes all the elections in the county. They arrange for early voting and - get this! - can handle primary elections too.  

For more information, go here.   

8. County School Trustee Positions At-Large  

These are members of the school board for Houston ISD that don't serve a particular geographic area. Y'all, the school board has a LOT of power over what happens in our schools. Since HISD is the 7th largest district in the nation, serving more than 200,000 kids, these positions can really effect the day to day lives of our students. 

For more information, go here.  

  

9. County Commissioner

OK. This is a big one, y'all. The County Commissioner decides where the boundaries are for the county precincts and decides how many employees the county has. They build and maintain the roads and bridges in the county.  Basically, they oversee everything that happens in the county. They're kind of a big deal. 

Well, that's it for now, folks! I hope anyone who reads this will be better informed at the ballot this year! Don't forget that early voting (the best kind of voting) starts October 20th! 

PS: If anyone has additional information to add to this learning experience, feel free to comment below.