Recently, the Hidalgo County Commissioners Court voted to extend hours providing working voters a chance to cast their ballots during the workweeks just prior to the upcoming November general election.
This was done because the city of Edinburg was ready to pay the extra costs to extend the voting hours in their city election that will also be held in November.
This was done to ensure that their voters who work might have an opportunity to vote.
However, many Mercedes voters were upset on how Mercedes Independent School District conducted a tax ratification election or TRE during this July.
During the previous November 2016 general election, voters rejected the same measure.
The district bamboozled some of its voters conducting the TRE in about a month when most voters are out of town or on vacation.
The tactic was legal, but unethical because it violated the basic principle of open and transparent government.
It tried to inform only the voters that supported this measure.
Several voters were unaware of the July TRE and therefore did not have the opportunity to vote.
I applaud both the city of Edinburg and the Commissioners Court officials in providing the opportunity to all Hidalgo County voters the right to participate in the upcoming election.
I can’t say the same about Mercedes ISD officials.
Silvestre Moreno Jr. Mercedes
