Utopia Talk - Politics - Want to vote in Texas?

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Utopia Talk / Politics / Want to vote in Texas?

murder
Member Thu Jan 20 12:41:01
You may be SOL.

==================================

Texas says supply chain issues have limited the number of voter registration forms it can give out

The Texas Secretary of State’s office is having more trouble than usual getting enough voter registration cards to groups who help Texans register to vote.

Sam Taylor, assistant secretary of state for communications, said supply chain issues have made it harder and more expensive to get paper, which means the Secretary of State's office will be giving out fewer voter registration forms to groups ahead of elections this year.

“We are limited in what we can supply this year, because of the paper shortage and the cost constraints due to the price of paper and the supply of paper,” he said.

Grace Chimene, the president of the League of Women Voters of Texas, said it is not unusual for the Secretary of State to not have enough forms to fill all the requests it gets from groups like hers ahead of elections. This particular shortage, however, is affecting an important part of her group’s work: registering thousands of newly naturalized citizens.

Chimene said in previous years, her group, which has chapters across the state, has been able to get enough forms to pass out at naturalization ceremonies. Often, she said, the group partners with the state to give out several thousand forms at each ceremony.

“The League in Houston registers about 30,000 new citizens every year through these ceremonies in the past,” Chimene said.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a mix of in-person and remote ceremonies. Chimene said her group has either been handing out voter registration materials at in-person events or they’ve been sending out packets they put together ahead of time to those new citizens.

Either way, the League and their volunteers often ask for thousands of voter registration forms ahead of these ceremonies.

“It’s a really important job that we do and we value it, and I think the new citizens value it also," Chimene said.

Taylor said the Secretary of State’s office has been forced to limit each group to 1,000 to 2,000 registration forms per request. He said this shortage is coming at a time when many groups are seeking out new voter registration forms because of a change in Texas’ voter registration laws created under Senate Bill 1, a controversial voting law that went into effect last month.

“The voter registration application changed this year for one reason: It’s because the legislature decided to increase the penalty for illegal voter registration from a class B misdemeanor to a class A misdemeanor,” he said.

Previously, Taylor said that change had to be reflected on registration applications in order for them to be approved. But, after this story was published Tuesday, he clarified that's not necessarily the case.

“While we have made clear to officials and groups that they should not be distributing the old version of the Voter Registration form, county voter registrars may accept completed voter registration applications on the old form, so long as the application is otherwise valid," Taylor said in a statement Tuesday. "In other words, using last year’s form in and of itself is not fatal to the voter’s registration application.”

Chimene said all these constraints present serious issues for her group as they try to get voter registration materials together ahead of these large naturalization ceremonies.

“We are treating all organizations that request these the same,” Taylor said. “We are trying to fulfill these requests as fast we can. But the fact is we simply don’t have the supply to honor every single request for free applications.”

According to Chimene, this is one of the pitfalls of Texas being among the few states in the country that does not have online voter registration. Supply chain issues are not as big of a problem when you can just direct someone to a website.

She’s also worried about the message this sends to newly naturalized citizens, which she said have been under particular scrutiny by the Secretary of State’s office recently. Chimene said the League is worried that newly naturalized, eligible voters are being targeted by the state's latest focus on potential non-citizen voters.

“We are concerned about it, and we are looking into it,” Chimene said. “It just sort all goes together: not providing the service they are supposed be providing to the citizens of Texas.”

Chimene said the Secretary of State’s office has told the League to seek out donations instead of relying on the state for voter registration forms. She said she “didn’t appreciate” this considering the fact her group is a non-partisan nonprofit. However, Chimene said, her group will try and do what it can.

“We will ask our supporters, we will ask our friends and our neighbors,” she said. “And find out if we could have somebody donate to get this done.”

Update: This story has been updated with a clarification from the Texas Secretary of State's office to say county voter registrars can accept completed voter registration applications on the old forms.

http://www...stration-forms-it-can-give-out

tumbleweed
the wanderer Thu Jan 20 13:33:45
i assumed this was about how large #'s of mail-in ballot requests in TX are being rejected under new laws

even if you supply a proper ID #, like driver's license, you are screwed if it isn't the same method of ID you used to register

TX would prefer you didn't vote

Rugian
Member Thu Jan 20 13:48:00
Or, and I know this is just an IMPOSSIBLE THING to do in 2022...

...go to a polling place to vote.

tumbleweed
the wanderer Thu Jan 20 14:12:09
or they could not be dicks

murder
Member Thu Jan 20 14:12:13

"...go to a polling place to vote."

With the 8 hour lines, the ballot shortages, and the broken machines, in black neighborhoods.

And of course don't give the people waiting anything to eat or drink ... but it is totally not because they want people to just go home instead of voting.

Rugian
Member Thu Jan 20 14:22:26
A) that's not typical, stop pretending that it is

B) oh boo boo, there's a wait time at thr polls? Suck it up, you pansy.

You want to experience difficult, try applying for a gun permit in Massachusetts.

Habebe
Member Thu Jan 20 14:42:50
What is the average wait time?

kargen
Member Thu Jan 20 18:18:05
Last time I voted in Texas Democrats developed a strategy of targeting specific districts to cause very long lines. They would get to the voting booth and just stand in there for as long as possible pretending not to understand the instructions and all that kind of bullshit.
When a poll worker would ask if they prefer a paper ballot instead they would insist they wanted to use the machine so they could tie it up for as long as possible.
Both parties like to vote in the opposing parties primaries to try and get a weak candidate on the ticket.

Long lines to vote in Texas are fairly typical Rugian even when Democrats aren't trying to sabotage the process. They don't have near enough polling places in densely populated areas. People joked about packing a lunch.

Habebe
Member Thu Jan 20 19:24:38
Well, the data we would want then would be wait times and in booth times.

Dukhat
Member Thu Jan 20 20:25:03
Kargen following the typical bullshit of conservatives.

1) Anecdote. Check.
2) No evidence. Check.
3) False Equivalency (other guys are bad too so we can be bad). Check.

Fuck you.

kargen
Member Thu Jan 20 20:29:05
I'm guessing it isn't as bad as it was when I lived there. Early voting lasts for eleven days. In 2020 the first day of early voting some places had a two or three hour wait. That dropped way off towards the middle.

"even if you supply a proper ID #, like driver's license, you are screwed if it isn't the same method of ID you used to register"

that is just common sense. You use an ID# when you register and then use that same number when you send in your ballot. Fucking simple.

Forwyn
Member Thu Jan 20 22:54:50
Lol. Cuckhat, who likely has never even entered Texas, irrationally angry that someone recounted their experience in the state.

tumbleweed
the wanderer Thu Jan 20 23:47:09
it has the sound of maybe one guy took awhile & kargen turned it into some widespread deliberate strategy (which sounds quite unlikely)

& he's known to make shit up

Dukhat
Member Fri Jan 21 00:17:45
My main property is in Texas and I grew up there. Try again idiot. Repuglicans have taken a turn for the worse after the Bush's lost control of the party.

kargen
Member Fri Jan 21 01:14:24
tumbleweed me telling you when you are suffering from your delusions is not me making shit up. It is me trying to drag you back into reality.

Cuckhat I have never tried to use the well they did it first defense. If you had a modicum of reading comprehension and retention you would remember I in fact like to point when others try that type of defense I tell them I learned that wasn't valid when I was five.

Forwyn
Member Fri Jan 21 13:08:17
Ah yes, the Golden Age of Neocons, the Bush era. Lol Cuckhat

Hrothgar
Member Sun Jan 23 01:52:06
"Or, and I know this is just an IMPOSSIBLE THING to do in 2022...

...go to a polling place to vote."

They know that forcing people to do this will eliminate 20-30% of the voters due to various "pain in the ass" factor.

Habebe
Member Sun Jan 23 02:27:28
Hrothgar, I think your assumptions of 20-30% are grossly exaggerated.

I would also argue that voting probably should take some effort instead treated like a twitter poll.

Now six hours waiting to vote sounds unusual and excessive, it shouldn't be that much.

But living in high population density areas will likley lead to longer wait times and living in rural areas usually means you can't walk to a polling place both would lower the ease of voting.

Habebe
Member Sun Jan 23 02:39:37
"In nine municipalities in Massachusetts and Minnesota, a 1 standard deviation (0.245 mile) increase in distance reduces ballots cast by 2 to 5 percent across four elections."

A 1/4 mile distance can reduce voting by 3.5%. That doesn't bode well for rural voters who are much further away than urban.

http://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/app.20180306

Habebe
Member Sun Jan 23 02:50:59
Unfortunatley much of the data Im finding is either foreign or grossly out of date (like pre 1960)

This really should be studied more.

kargen
Member Sun Jan 23 15:40:52
I doubt that distance dynamic applies the same to rural areas. Urban areas time is more the factor than distance. Rural something twenty miles away will take about 15 minutes travel time. What can really fuck rural areas though is weather. That is why I like the idea of early voting. Doesn't make sense to wait until the last day when all kinds of things can make casting a vote tougher.

I still do not like that some states send mail in ballots to everyone that is registered whether requested or not. I feel someone who wants to vote should either request a ballot or go vote in person.

Habebe
Member Sun Jan 23 16:49:04
Kargen, Perhaps. But transportation for rural people is more difficult than urban. Ive lived in both urban and rural and can say in the city I could go all around with ease, in the boonies its much more of a challenge especially with weather conditions like you said.

We always hear from democrats how long wait times are for urban voters but never a peep to factor in travel for rural voters.

Elections should be national holifays though. I could be ok with some reasonable early voting too.

murder
Member Sun Jan 23 22:00:25

"I still do not like that some states send mail in ballots to everyone that is registered whether requested or not. I feel someone who wants to vote should either request a ballot or go vote in person."

I feel that people should only get to vote if they'll jump through whatever hoops I arbitrarily decide they should have to jump through.

kargen
Member Sun Jan 23 22:22:49
I don't think showing an iota of interest is much of a hoop. The problem with sending out ballots to all registered voters is some end up being filled out by those other than intended.

Ten days of early in person voting, mail in ballots when requested, national holiday on actual day all seems reasonable. In person should require photo ID and mail in ballot should require the ID number used to register to vote.
Should also be easier to cast a provisional ballot.
And we need to get over the idea that we need to know who won the night of the election. Fucking slow down and make sure the count is correct.

murder
Member Sun Jan 23 22:40:48

"I don't think showing an iota of interest is much of a hoop."

The iota of interest would be casting the ballot. Also being forced to register to claim your constitutional right is another iota.

"The problem with sending out ballots to all registered voters is some end up being filled out by those other than intended."

Yes ... massive voter fraud.

The problem with not automatically registering eligible voters and sending every registered voter a ballot is that some US citizens end up not being to cast their vote for any number of reasons.

Being OK with being governed by the representatives of the smallest percentage of US citizens possible is not OK.

Sending everyone a ballot just clears all the extra iotas that Republicans love to put between US citizens and their right to vote.

kargen
Member Mon Jan 24 01:42:28
Nah if you can't be bothered to request a ballot then you shouldn't vote. To much room for abuse.

And no not massive voter fraud but any voter fraud should be treated as a serious matter. Having people request a ballot is one more way to keep integrity in our elections.

The problem with registering people and sending ballots automatically is anybody can cast those ballots that were not requested. And most the "any number of reasons" can happen just as easily with all ballots being sent out as only requested ballots sent out. So you are not fixing any problems and are creating a few new ones.

murder
Member Mon Jan 24 05:26:18

"Nah if you can't be bothered to request a ballot then you shouldn't vote. To much room for abuse."

Yes, individuals would no doubt abuse stray ballots ... unlike the mass violation of voting rights that occur every single election cycle by local and state governments.

"And no not massive voter fraud but any voter fraud should be treated as a serious matter. Having people request a ballot is one more way to keep integrity in our elections."

The denial of the vote for any eligible citizens should be treated by a public hanging.

"The problem with registering people and sending ballots automatically is anybody can cast those ballots that were not requested."

Anybody can cast a ballot that was requested. Anyone can show up at the polls and vote on your behalf. Identity theft is an actual thing.

show deleted posts

murder Member	Thu Jan 20 12:41:01 You may be SOL. ================================== Texas says supply chain issues have limited the number of voter registration forms it can give out The Texas Secretary of State’s office is having more trouble than usual getting enough voter registration cards to groups who help Texans register to vote. Sam Taylor, assistant secretary of state for communications, said supply chain issues have made it harder and more expensive to get paper, which means the Secretary of State's office will be giving out fewer voter registration forms to groups ahead of elections this year. “We are limited in what we can supply this year, because of the paper shortage and the cost constraints due to the price of paper and the supply of paper,” he said. Grace Chimene, the president of the League of Women Voters of Texas, said it is not unusual for the Secretary of State to not have enough forms to fill all the requests it gets from groups like hers ahead of elections. This particular shortage, however, is affecting an important part of her group’s work: registering thousands of newly naturalized citizens. Chimene said in previous years, her group, which has chapters across the state, has been able to get enough forms to pass out at naturalization ceremonies. Often, she said, the group partners with the state to give out several thousand forms at each ceremony. “The League in Houston registers about 30,000 new citizens every year through these ceremonies in the past,” Chimene said. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a mix of in-person and remote ceremonies. Chimene said her group has either been handing out voter registration materials at in-person events or they’ve been sending out packets they put together ahead of time to those new citizens. Either way, the League and their volunteers often ask for thousands of voter registration forms ahead of these ceremonies. “It’s a really important job that we do and we value it, and I think the new citizens value it also," Chimene said. Taylor said the Secretary of State’s office has been forced to limit each group to 1,000 to 2,000 registration forms per request. He said this shortage is coming at a time when many groups are seeking out new voter registration forms because of a change in Texas’ voter registration laws created under Senate Bill 1, a controversial voting law that went into effect last month. “The voter registration application changed this year for one reason: It’s because the legislature decided to increase the penalty for illegal voter registration from a class B misdemeanor to a class A misdemeanor,” he said. Previously, Taylor said that change had to be reflected on registration applications in order for them to be approved. But, after this story was published Tuesday, he clarified that's not necessarily the case. “While we have made clear to officials and groups that they should not be distributing the old version of the Voter Registration form, county voter registrars may accept completed voter registration applications on the old form, so long as the application is otherwise valid," Taylor said in a statement Tuesday. "In other words, using last year’s form in and of itself is not fatal to the voter’s registration application.” Chimene said all these constraints present serious issues for her group as they try to get voter registration materials together ahead of these large naturalization ceremonies. “We are treating all organizations that request these the same,” Taylor said. “We are trying to fulfill these requests as fast we can. But the fact is we simply don’t have the supply to honor every single request for free applications.” According to Chimene, this is one of the pitfalls of Texas being among the few states in the country that does not have online voter registration. Supply chain issues are not as big of a problem when you can just direct someone to a website. She’s also worried about the message this sends to newly naturalized citizens, which she said have been under particular scrutiny by the Secretary of State’s office recently. Chimene said the League is worried that newly naturalized, eligible voters are being targeted by the state's latest focus on potential non-citizen voters. “We are concerned about it, and we are looking into it,” Chimene said. “It just sort all goes together: not providing the service they are supposed be providing to the citizens of Texas.” Chimene said the Secretary of State’s office has told the League to seek out donations instead of relying on the state for voter registration forms. She said she “didn’t appreciate” this considering the fact her group is a non-partisan nonprofit. However, Chimene said, her group will try and do what it can. “We will ask our supporters, we will ask our friends and our neighbors,” she said. “And find out if we could have somebody donate to get this done.” Update: This story has been updated with a clarification from the Texas Secretary of State's office to say county voter registrars can accept completed voter registration applications on the old forms. http://www...stration-forms-it-can-give-out
tumbleweed the wanderer	Thu Jan 20 13:33:45 i assumed this was about how large #'s of mail-in ballot requests in TX are being rejected under new laws even if you supply a proper ID #, like driver's license, you are screwed if it isn't the same method of ID you used to register TX would prefer you didn't vote
Rugian Member	Thu Jan 20 13:48:00 Or, and I know this is just an IMPOSSIBLE THING to do in 2022... ...go to a polling place to vote.
tumbleweed the wanderer	Thu Jan 20 14:12:09 or they could not be dicks
murder Member	Thu Jan 20 14:12:13 "...go to a polling place to vote." With the 8 hour lines, the ballot shortages, and the broken machines, in black neighborhoods. And of course don't give the people waiting anything to eat or drink ... but it is totally not because they want people to just go home instead of voting.
Rugian Member	Thu Jan 20 14:22:26 A) that's not typical, stop pretending that it is B) oh boo boo, there's a wait time at thr polls? Suck it up, you pansy. You want to experience difficult, try applying for a gun permit in Massachusetts.
Habebe Member	Thu Jan 20 14:42:50 What is the average wait time?
kargen Member	Thu Jan 20 18:18:05 Last time I voted in Texas Democrats developed a strategy of targeting specific districts to cause very long lines. They would get to the voting booth and just stand in there for as long as possible pretending not to understand the instructions and all that kind of bullshit. When a poll worker would ask if they prefer a paper ballot instead they would insist they wanted to use the machine so they could tie it up for as long as possible. Both parties like to vote in the opposing parties primaries to try and get a weak candidate on the ticket. Long lines to vote in Texas are fairly typical Rugian even when Democrats aren't trying to sabotage the process. They don't have near enough polling places in densely populated areas. People joked about packing a lunch.
Habebe Member	Thu Jan 20 19:24:38 Well, the data we would want then would be wait times and in booth times.
Dukhat Member	Thu Jan 20 20:25:03 Kargen following the typical bullshit of conservatives. 1) Anecdote. Check. 2) No evidence. Check. 3) False Equivalency (other guys are bad too so we can be bad). Check. Fuck you.
kargen Member	Thu Jan 20 20:29:05 I'm guessing it isn't as bad as it was when I lived there. Early voting lasts for eleven days. In 2020 the first day of early voting some places had a two or three hour wait. That dropped way off towards the middle. "even if you supply a proper ID #, like driver's license, you are screwed if it isn't the same method of ID you used to register" that is just common sense. You use an ID# when you register and then use that same number when you send in your ballot. Fucking simple.
Forwyn Member	Thu Jan 20 22:54:50 Lol. Cuckhat, who likely has never even entered Texas, irrationally angry that someone recounted their experience in the state.
tumbleweed the wanderer	Thu Jan 20 23:47:09 it has the sound of maybe one guy took awhile & kargen turned it into some widespread deliberate strategy (which sounds quite unlikely) & he's known to make shit up
Dukhat Member	Fri Jan 21 00:17:45 My main property is in Texas and I grew up there. Try again idiot. Repuglicans have taken a turn for the worse after the Bush's lost control of the party.
kargen Member	Fri Jan 21 01:14:24 tumbleweed me telling you when you are suffering from your delusions is not me making shit up. It is me trying to drag you back into reality. Cuckhat I have never tried to use the well they did it first defense. If you had a modicum of reading comprehension and retention you would remember I in fact like to point when others try that type of defense I tell them I learned that wasn't valid when I was five.
Forwyn Member	Fri Jan 21 13:08:17 Ah yes, the Golden Age of Neocons, the Bush era. Lol Cuckhat
Hrothgar Member	Sun Jan 23 01:52:06 "Or, and I know this is just an IMPOSSIBLE THING to do in 2022... ...go to a polling place to vote." They know that forcing people to do this will eliminate 20-30% of the voters due to various "pain in the ass" factor.
Habebe Member	Sun Jan 23 02:27:28 Hrothgar, I think your assumptions of 20-30% are grossly exaggerated. I would also argue that voting probably should take some effort instead treated like a twitter poll. Now six hours waiting to vote sounds unusual and excessive, it shouldn't be that much. But living in high population density areas will likley lead to longer wait times and living in rural areas usually means you can't walk to a polling place both would lower the ease of voting.
Habebe Member	Sun Jan 23 02:39:37 "In nine municipalities in Massachusetts and Minnesota, a 1 standard deviation (0.245 mile) increase in distance reduces ballots cast by 2 to 5 percent across four elections." A 1/4 mile distance can reduce voting by 3.5%. That doesn't bode well for rural voters who are much further away than urban. http://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/app.20180306
Habebe Member	Sun Jan 23 02:50:59 Unfortunatley much of the data Im finding is either foreign or grossly out of date (like pre 1960) This really should be studied more.
kargen Member	Sun Jan 23 15:40:52 I doubt that distance dynamic applies the same to rural areas. Urban areas time is more the factor than distance. Rural something twenty miles away will take about 15 minutes travel time. What can really fuck rural areas though is weather. That is why I like the idea of early voting. Doesn't make sense to wait until the last day when all kinds of things can make casting a vote tougher. I still do not like that some states send mail in ballots to everyone that is registered whether requested or not. I feel someone who wants to vote should either request a ballot or go vote in person.
Habebe Member	Sun Jan 23 16:49:04 Kargen, Perhaps. But transportation for rural people is more difficult than urban. Ive lived in both urban and rural and can say in the city I could go all around with ease, in the boonies its much more of a challenge especially with weather conditions like you said. We always hear from democrats how long wait times are for urban voters but never a peep to factor in travel for rural voters. Elections should be national holifays though. I could be ok with some reasonable early voting too.
murder Member	Sun Jan 23 22:00:25 "I still do not like that some states send mail in ballots to everyone that is registered whether requested or not. I feel someone who wants to vote should either request a ballot or go vote in person." I feel that people should only get to vote if they'll jump through whatever hoops I arbitrarily decide they should have to jump through.
kargen Member	Sun Jan 23 22:22:49 I don't think showing an iota of interest is much of a hoop. The problem with sending out ballots to all registered voters is some end up being filled out by those other than intended. Ten days of early in person voting, mail in ballots when requested, national holiday on actual day all seems reasonable. In person should require photo ID and mail in ballot should require the ID number used to register to vote. Should also be easier to cast a provisional ballot. And we need to get over the idea that we need to know who won the night of the election. Fucking slow down and make sure the count is correct.
murder Member	Sun Jan 23 22:40:48 "I don't think showing an iota of interest is much of a hoop." The iota of interest would be casting the ballot. Also being forced to register to claim your constitutional right is another iota. "The problem with sending out ballots to all registered voters is some end up being filled out by those other than intended." Yes ... massive voter fraud. The problem with not automatically registering eligible voters and sending every registered voter a ballot is that some US citizens end up not being to cast their vote for any number of reasons. Being OK with being governed by the representatives of the smallest percentage of US citizens possible is not OK. Sending everyone a ballot just clears all the extra iotas that Republicans love to put between US citizens and their right to vote.
kargen Member	Mon Jan 24 01:42:28 Nah if you can't be bothered to request a ballot then you shouldn't vote. To much room for abuse. And no not massive voter fraud but any voter fraud should be treated as a serious matter. Having people request a ballot is one more way to keep integrity in our elections. The problem with registering people and sending ballots automatically is anybody can cast those ballots that were not requested. And most the "any number of reasons" can happen just as easily with all ballots being sent out as only requested ballots sent out. So you are not fixing any problems and are creating a few new ones.
murder Member	Mon Jan 24 05:26:18 "Nah if you can't be bothered to request a ballot then you shouldn't vote. To much room for abuse." Yes, individuals would no doubt abuse stray ballots ... unlike the mass violation of voting rights that occur every single election cycle by local and state governments. "And no not massive voter fraud but any voter fraud should be treated as a serious matter. Having people request a ballot is one more way to keep integrity in our elections." The denial of the vote for any eligible citizens should be treated by a public hanging. "The problem with registering people and sending ballots automatically is anybody can cast those ballots that were not requested." Anybody can cast a ballot that was requested. Anyone can show up at the polls and vote on your behalf. Identity theft is an actual thing.
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