EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – Voters in El Paso backed a Texas constitutional amendment that would ban state mandates on religious institutions that would limit or prohibit services in places of worship.

The problem grew out of criticism of public health mandates at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic that limited or prohibited gatherings. Stay-at-home orders issued by cities and counties across the state caused the backsliding of Texas Governor Greg Abbott and other Republicans.

At 10:15 p.m. on Tuesday, voters in El Paso were set to make a statement, supporting a ban on limiting or banning these services in the future. County data showed 10,752 El Paso residents voted for the proposal out of a total of 19,808.

A voting map showed that the central, lower valley and western regions of El Paso voted against the ban. And, it showed that communities in East El Paso, the Lower Valley, and the Upper Valley support the ban.

A constituency in the Upper Valley was a split at 10:30 p.m. with 136 on either side of the issue.

But turnout was low on election night as voters across the county considered several proposed ballot amendments, all of which were in the process of being passed in the state. A total of 20,092 ballots were cast out of 489,012 total registered voters, according to unofficial data Tuesday night. That’s a percentage of 4.11 percent.

Election night results did not go well for a nearly $ 200 million bond proposal by the independent school district of Canutillo. Of 1,634 voters, 1,056 voted against the proposal, which would have allowed the school district to purchase land and make improvements to properties in the district.

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