Two votes today *oops

*Corrections below reflect the HERO vote is actually Wednesday. -- PD.

The one today at your precinct polling place, and the one to be taken tomorrow by Houston city council on the city's non-discrimination ordinance.

Only about 15 percent of the state’s 13.6 million registered voters cast ballots in the Democratic and Republican primaries in March, and turnout is expected to be even lower on Tuesday. Just over 2 percent of voters in the 15 largest counties were casting ballots in early voting that started last Monday, according to the secretary of state’s office.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why Texas remains the reddest of the red.  It could be different -- a whole lot different -- and even Dan Patrick gets it.

Now then, about that HERO.

"This amendment is more than just bathroom crap that has been thrown around by our opponents for the last several weeks. It is about the human rights of all Houstonians, not just for the few," (Monica) Roberts said.

(Mayor Annise) Parker already has enough votes around the council table to pass the ordinance and expects it to go through (today). ...

"It is my life that is being discussed," Parker said. "And while we can say around this council chamber that it applies to the range of protected groups, and it does, and it is right and appropriate that the City of Houston finally acknowledges a local ordinance that respects African-Americans and Hispanics and those of different religions, the debate is about me. The debate is about two gay men at this table. It is very intensely personal."

So there's a little extra civic duty necessary to execute today* and tomorrow, for those who have not already done so.  It's a great weather day in Houston to do it, too, especially if you're a duck.

Update: Someone asked me for predictions, so I will say tonight's victors (it's hard for me to call them 'winners") will be Patrick, Paxton, Sid Miller, David Alameel, and Kinky.  Oh, and Ralph Hall goes down in flames, the only Congressional incumbent in the nation to lose his primary so far, and the Houston NDO passes with the same five dissenting votes as two weeks ago.

The incumbent members of Congress have an 11% approval rating and a 100% renomination record as of this morning.  What's wrong with this picture?

Dan Patrick lied about his mental illness

And those lies are revealed in Big Jolly's post here.  Update: For the predictable firestorm in the comments section, go read the original.

So much for that withering "Hillary has brain damage" line of attack (Greg).  I mean, she'll just lie about it, the media won't press her on it, and she still gets elected president in 2016.  Pssst: I'm channeling the conservative hive mind here.

And yes, this development is still not bad enough to sway the deep thinkers among Harris County and Lone Star Republican primary voters, many of whom have cast ballots by mail already, and the rest waiting to do so tomorrow in person.  As Morgan Smith at the TexTrib has noted, the most extreme of Texas conservatives on the GOP primary runoff ballot seem to have weathered the storms of controversy surrounding them, and appear poised to claim victory tomorrow evening.

As previously pondered with respect to both Patrick and Greg Abbott, will these right-off-a-cliff moves have any greater effect among the Texas general electorate in November?

Well?  Will they?