Thread: TX-Voter ID opponents release their principles

Voter ID opponents release their principles

The League of Women Voters and five other groups (MALDEF, ACLU, etc.) today issued their own list of principles for Voter ID legislation. They want the bill to have more focus on increasing access to the ballot box. Here's their list:

STEP UP THE VOTE IN TEXAS
PRESS RELEASE MAY 4, 2009
A Non-partisan plan for election reform

The League of Women Voters of Texas and five advocacy groups have come together to propose non-partisan principles to replace the very partisan principles that have been offered for election reform in Texas. We are convinced that the principles that we propose would not only improve valid voter participation but would also find and address election problems, whether the problems are fraud, misinterpretation of the law or voter intimidation.

Problems that need addressing:

1. Texas was 46th in voter turnout by voter eligible population in the 2008
general election. Only Hawaii, West Virginia, Utah and Arkansas had a
lower voter turnout than Texas.

2. Texas has the highest number of recent violations under the Voting Rights Act.

3. Rejection rates for provisional ballots for Texas are among the highest in the country.

4. Advocacy groups report a significant number of instances of poll workers not following existing election law on provisional ballots and ID
requirements but Texas doesn't have an adequate method of reporting
and dealing with these issues.

5. Hispanic registration rates are significantly lower than white-non-Hispanic registration rates in Texas.

6. Despite the mistaken belief that many voters are not eligible to vote, there is virtually no evidence of voting by non-citizens or voter impersonation.

Principles for addressing these issues:

1. Register all eligible Texas voters and make sure their votes get counted
accurately.

2. Protect the rights of all Texas voters from deceptive practices that
intimidate voters or provide false information about voting.

3. Encourage all eligible Texans to participate in all Texas elections.

4. Provide avenues to identify, report, investigate and resolve election issues

5. Prosecute cases of voter and election fraud.

6. Substantive changes in voting policies, including any change
in identification requirements, must be accompanied by a robust and multifaceted public and poll worker education campaign.

PRESS RELEASE MAY 4, 2009

Specific Needed Improvements:

1. Establish a non-partisan Texas Election Committee to analyze data
provided by the Secretary of State and to identify election issues and
concerns and recommend changes in election law and procedures.

2. Increasing voter registration by providing same day registration during
early voting will reduce the need for provisional ballots for ID related
issues.

3. Further automate registrations through the Department of Public Safety
and other databases as mandated by the National Voter Registration Act.

4. Improve registration forms and voter database matching procedures so
that eligible registrations are not rejected for hyper technical issues or data entry errors.

5. Increase voter education and poll worker training especially on the
purpose and treatment of provisional ballots.

6. Define clear processes and procedures for equal treatment of provisional ballots.

7. Clearly post voter’s rights at every polling location including phone
number, address and internet location as routes for filing complaints.

8. Mandate that the Texas Secretary of State compile an Election Day report including complaint incidents, performance measures for NVRA
compliance, and voter turnout analysis for the State Legislature and the
Texas Election Committee mentioned above.

9. Revisit the issue of unnecessary or wrongful purging, and find ways to
improve quality of the data without wrongful or excessive purging.

Texas Election Facts:

1. If Texas were to reach the average level of voter turn out in the US, we
would add one million voters.

2. The average rejection rate for provisional ballots across the country is
20%. In Texas the rejection rate is about 75%.

3. According to the US Department of Justice, Texas, since 1982 has had
the second highest number of Section 5 (pre-clearance) of the National
Voting Rights Act, objections interposed by the DOJ. Only Mississippi has
had more.

4. In testimony before the US Supreme Court this past week we learned that there is a 16-point registration difference between Hispanic and non-
Hispanic white voters in Texas.

Call to Action:

The League of Women Voters of Texas and five
advocacy groups ask you as citizens of Texas to call your Texas House
Representative and ask them to support policies that improve voter participation
and address valid election problems.

PRESS RELEASE MAY 4, 2009

Groups Supporting this Statement:

ACLU-TX
Advocacy, Inc.
Common Cause of Texas
League of Women Voters of Texas
Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF)
NAACP Texas

http://elpasotimes.typepad.com/capitol/ ... iples.html

All of that is just a bunch of crap. I don't care what they have to say. Of their 9 points of "Specific Needed Improvements" most of it is already being done and done adequately. No more growing government!!!!

And for the 4 Election facts

1 and 4 So what. And for # 3 they had to reach all the way back to 1982 to make their numbers look good and make their point. I'm sure some of the orginizations that signed his letter have caused/instigated the DOJ objections.

As for # 2. I hate when people manipulate data:

2. The average rejection rate for provisional ballots across the country is
20%. In Texas the rejection rate is about 75%.

What's the number one reason? My guess is they were not registered to vote in the first place and just showed up on election day.

I'm the voter and I know what I want. I want the other voters to show up with ID and prove they are who they are, just like I'm willing to do.

The heck with the special interest groups that have been stuffing the ballot box. That's why they are screaming, they do not have the voters best interest in mind.

The League of Women Voters have completely gone off their nuts. ACORN should be on that list, they would have been last year with their other like minded buddies.

Dixie

Problems that need addressing:

1. Texas was 46th in voter turnout by voter eligible population in the 2008
general election. Only Hawaii, West Virginia, Utah and Arkansas had a
lower voter turnout than Texas.

Because you are chock, block full of illegals!

2. Texas has the highest number of recent violations under the Voting Rights Act.

Because you are chock, block full of illegals!

3. Rejection rates for provisional ballots for Texas are among the highest in the country.

Because you are chock, block full of illegals!

4. Advocacy groups report a significant number of instances of poll workers not following existing election law on provisional ballots and ID
requirements but Texas doesn't have an adequate method of reporting
and dealing with these issues.

Because the are illegal-lovers and don't want to follow the law.
Throw a couple of them in jail and things might change!

5. Hispanic registration rates are significantly lower than white-non-Hispanic registration rates in Texas.

As they should be! Texas is America isn't it?

6. Despite the mistaken belief that many voters are not eligible to vote, there is virtually no evidence of voting by non-citizens or voter impersonation.

DO I LOOK STUPID???

Principles for addressing these issues:

1. Register all eligible Texas voters and make sure their votes get counted
accurately.

Gee, this should have been done all along don't ya think?

2. Protect the rights of all Texas voters from deceptive practices that
intimidate voters or provide false information about voting.

Gee, this should have been done all along don't ya think?

3. Encourage all eligible Texans to participate in all Texas elections.

Gee, this should have been done all along don't ya think?

4. Provide avenues to identify, report, investigate and resolve election issues

Gee, this should have been done all along don't ya think?

5. Prosecute cases of voter and election fraud.

Gee, this should have been done all along don't ya think?

6. Substantive changes in voting policies, including any change
in identification requirements, must be accompanied by a robust and multifaceted public and poll worker education campaign.

Show your ID!


To bad Texas seems to be MORE Mexican than Texan..... You were such a proud state.
Growing up in Maine, we looked up to your Patriotism, where did it go....?

I just called the LEAGUE of WOMEN VOTERS and acted like I thought they were not partisan.I laid into the guy on the phone.he asked what problem it was that bothered me about voter participation rates and I said RULE OF LAW!Then I really launched he could no longer respond I was sooooo furious!I said they used ACORN tactics..he did not like that.Then my screaming conclusion...DO YOU WANT TO LIVE IN A COMMUNIST COUNTRY?
HE got that twice.
Is this bill toast or not?

Originally Posted by Mayflowerchick

I just called the LEAGUE of WOMEN VOTERS and acted like I thought they were not partisan.I laid into the guy on the phone.he asked what problem it was that bothered me about voter participation rates and I said RULE OF LAW!Then I really launched he could no longer respond I was sooooo furious!I said they used ACORN tactics..he did not like that.Then my screaming conclusion...DO YOU WANT TO LIVE IN A COMMUNIST COUNTRY?
HE got that twice.
Is this bill toast or not?

You sound like me! I get more and more cranked up when I call people on the phone.
I try to stick to email or FAX now.. LOL

I sent 3 nasty emails to Obama yesterday.