Key Dates
Last day to register to vote: Monday, April 23, 2018
Early Voting Starts: Monday, May 14, 2018
Early Voting Ends: Friday May 18, 2018
Primary Runoff Election: Tuesday, May 22, 2018
Other speakers included Belinda Matinuo, Regional Manager for Texas Association of Business; Ramiro Cavazos, President and CEO of the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; Cristina Aldrete, Executive Vice-President of the North San Antonio Chamber of Commerce; and Ashley Harris, Director of Industry and Government Relations for Visit San Antonio.
President and CEO Richard Perez joined a group of Texas business leaders this week at an Executive Roundtable Luncheon hosted by the Texas Association of Business. The purpose of the event was to discuss how important the 2018 elections are to the business community and how we can play an active role in identifying ways to encourage employers and their employees to hit the polls.
It is no surprise that Texas has a low voter turnout. That is especially true for the primary / runoff elections. According to the Texas Association of Business, Texas residents are ranked 47th for voter turnout, and 44th for voter registration.
The challenge we face in the 2018 elections is that approximately 7% of voters shifted the composition of the Texas Legislature toward anti-business public policies in the 2017 legislative session. The best strategy forward is to increase involvement by the business community, and your Chamber is committed to leading that effort.
The San Antonio Chamber of Commerce mission is to build and sustain a vibrant business community by engaging business owners, policymakers, and influencers to address issues and opportunities important to our members. We strongly believe the relationship between the business community and our elected leaders is essential for economic prosperity in San Antonio and throughout Texas.
This is why your Chamber has developed a 2018 Get Out and Vote Strategic Plan. Our goal is to keep our members informed of who is on the ballot, important dates to remember, and what is at stake. The plan includes a massive marketing initiative using social media, videos, blogs and articles in our Chamber Today weekly e-newsletter as well as candidate forums and debates leading up to the November election. We will also be creating a landing page on our website with quick facts, graphics, and a video about how easy and important it is to register to vote before the April 23, 2018 deadline. Perez presented the program to the group in an effort to encourage others to do the same.
Your Chamber will be your primary resource for election information, so make sure to follow us on social media and visit our website. Most importantly, make sure your hit the polls. The runoff elections are set for Tuesday, May 22, with early voting available Monday, May 14–18.