Reporting Words: Precinct 247

Powell, Austin

The 2012 general election marked a year of change for precinct 247 in the Northwest Hills area of Austin.  Of the 622 registered voters who voted, Mitt Romney garnered about 55 percent of the vote whereas President Barack Obama collected about 43 percent.

Voting took place at Doss Elementary on Northledge Drive.

The results for this year’s election contrasts dramatically with the 2008 general election when then Senator Obama took in about 63 percent of votes compared to the 35 percent of votes for Senator John McCain.

However the precinct shrunk in number of registered voters between the 2008 and 2012 election.

The 2008 general election saw 2,260 voters registered in the precinct, but only 799 registered in 2012.  This represents a 65 percent decrease in registered voters in the precinct.

The precinct as a whole also saw a shift in political party voting from straight Democrat ballot to Republican.  Straight party voting for the Democrats was nearly 62 percent in 2008 compared to 40 percent in 2012.

This is a result of redistricting every ten years to adjust precincts in response to census counts, Melinda Avey says.  Avey is the geographic information system coordinator for the Voter Registration Division of Texas.

According to Avey precincts are not allowed to cross the congressional lines when there is redistricting so as to eliminate any notion of political bias during redistricting.

In precinct 247’s case, the redistricting caused the area to lose the student apartment complexes across from the Jewish Community Center on Hart Lane.  Democratic precinct chair David Mann believes this was a factor in the changing demographics from predominantly Democrat voters to Republican.

“When it comes to redistricting it’s all political,” Mann said. 

He has held the Democratic precinct chair for eight years. 

Mann knew that his party would be unable to claim the precinct during the presidential election so he resorted to polling for voters outside of the state via phone calls.  He says that there was no way Obama would have been able to win Texas.

His precinct opponent Peggy Bower however took to the streets when attracting voters.  She believes the best way to get in touch with citizens is by doing 225 house calls to distribute a newsletter she creates each election.  People generally appreciate it and like being educated, she says.

Bower was on scene at Doss Elementary to help administer the voting process for the precinct.

“I always try to work the election,” she said. “It’s always important to have honest people at the elections with a checks and balances system in place with both Democrats and Republicans.”

She says the voting process in her precinct went smoothly and there was no sign of malfunctioning voting booths in her precinct and the rest of Travis County.

Mann feels the area’s change in demographics will continue to have long-term effects on the precinct’s voting trends.

“With the rise of house prices in the area and the presence of the Jewish Community Center the area is getting older,” he said.  “The housing market here is pushing young people away because of its steep prices.  It’s about keeping up with the Joneses around here.”

Housing prices have indeed gone up since the general election in 2008.  According to Zillow.com, homes in the 78731 area have risen from $500,000 to $519,000 between Oct. 2008 and Oct. 2012, thus representing a 3.8 percent increase.

But the increasing housing prices is not deterring people from moving to the area to send their children to Doss Elementary.  From 2007 to 2012 enrollment increased from 657 to 785, or 16 percent more students, according to Texas Education Agency.com.

In regards to citywide election results, nearly 78 percent of registered voters in precinct 247 let their voices be heard for city propositions.  Most notably, Proposition 1 was voted against with 57 percent of voters saying no to the creation of a UT-Austin medical school.

Following the election both precinct chairs said they have no upcoming plans for the precinct.

“It’s going to be a while before we start doing anything for the next election,” Bower said. “Right now I think everyone in the Republican Party is licking their wounds after this election.”