Thread: TX. Voter ID bill on its way to Gov. Rick Perry

Voter ID bill on its way to Gov. Rick Perry

by Zahira Torres \ Austin Bureau
Posted: 05/17/2011 07:23:33 AM MDT

AUSTIN -- A bill that requires Texans to show photo identification before voting in an election is on its way to Gov. Rick Perry's desk for final approval.

Perry is expected to sign the legislation into law, which he has outlined as a priority and even designated as an "emergency" item this session.

Voters would have to show photo identification -- a driver's license, state-issued personal ID card, military ID, U.S. passport, citizenship certificate, or concealed handgun license -- before casting a ballot if the bill becomes law.

Current law allows Texans to present a non-photo voter registration card before casting a ballot.

The Republican-backed bill passed Monday on a 98-46 House vote, which primarily broke along party lines.

State Rep. Joe Pickett, D-El Paso, joined state Rep. Dee Margo, R-El Paso, and other Republicans in support of the bill. Democratic state Reps. Naomi Gonzalez, Marisa Marquez and Chente Quintanilla voted against the legislation.

"It was a line in the sand with the Democrat and Republican parties, but most of my constituents feel that it's not a lot to ask for someone to have a photo ID," Pickett said.

Democrats had in previous years derailed Republican legislation that would require voters to show photo identification. But now, with commanding majorities in the state House and Senate, Republicans pushed the legislation forward without allowing much input from Democrats.

Republicans say the measure is needed to instill confidence in the election system by curbing voter fraud.
Democrats, who said there was only one case of convicted voter impersonation in the past nine years, argue the legislation is aimed at suppressing the votes of minorities and poor people to boost the Republican advantage in elections.

A key change in the legislation would require the issuance of free election identification certificates to people who do not have a photo ID to vote.

Democrats challenged the House author, state Rep. Patricia Harless, R-Spring, about cost of supplying the photo IDs at a time when the state faces a budget shortfall of up to $27 billion.

"The cost is unknown," Harless said. She said most people in Texas already have some form of photo ID, so the state should incur minimal costs to cover the "small universe" of voters who do not. Harless did not provide specifics.

A provision that had been added by Gonzalez was eliminated. It would have allowed the Tigua tribe and other Native Americans to show tribal identification when voting.

"It's disappointing," Gonzalez said. "It protected a small group of individuals who were the first ones to be here and it only makes sense that they would be able to use their tribal identifications to vote."

The bill allows voters to cast a provisional ballot without photo identification but they would have to return in six days with proof. Otherwise, their ballot would not be counted.
The U.S. Justice Department has the final say on the legislation. Republicans said they do not foresee any problems because the bill is modeled after Georgia's and Indiana's voter identification legislation. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld Indiana's law, but the state is not subject to the Voting Rights Act.

Under the bill, attempting to commit voter fraud is a state jail felony charge, punishable by up to two years behind bars and a fine of up to $10,000. Voting illegally would be considered a second-degree felony. That could mean a fine of up to $10,000 and up to 20 years in prison.

The Legislative Budget Board estimates that it will cost about $2 million to train of election workers and advertise the new rules. That estimate does not include the cost of issuing free identification cards to people who say they need them to vote. The bill also does not take into account any financial impact on the state's jail system.

Gonzalez said state lawmakers are struggling to properly fund education and health care, yet the Republican majority is okay with paying for the unnecessary costs of photo identification legislation.

"This whole session has been a lot about rhetoric and not a lot about policy and making sure that we are fiscally responsible, that we are shrinking government and that our governments are running efficiently," Gonzalez said.

Zahira Torres may be reached at ztorres@elpasotimes.com; 512-479-6606.

http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_18076642

We have to show photo i d here in KY.I had to show my drivers license this morning,we have been doing it for years.

Or they can vote by mail.

Texas: Request an Application for a Ballot by Mail

To be eligible to vote early by mail in Texas, you must:
•be 65 years or older;
•be disabled;
•be out of the county on election day and during the period for early voting by personal appearance; or
•be confined in jail, but otherwise eligible.

You may open this form (PDF, 202kb), print the application, fill in the information, sign and date it. You will then put it in an envelope, add postage, and mail to the Early Voting Clerk in your county.

OR

You may also request an application for a Ballot by Mail online , and not later than the next working day, an application for ballot by mail will be mailed to you. You must mail the application to early voting clerk of the authority conducting the election.

The early voting clerk is the county clerk or elections administrator for your county. A list of County Clerks is available on this website.

For more information, please read the Early Voting in Texas pamphlet.

http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/vo ... abbm.shtml

Originally Posted by duckman

We have to show photo i d here in KY.I had to show my drivers license this morning,we have been doing it for years.

"Yeah! and we're just dumbass HillBilly's!" wake up America!

Originally Posted by stevetheroofer

Originally Posted by duckman

We have to show photo i d here in KY.I had to show my drivers license this morning,we have been doing it for years.

"Yeah! and we're just dumbass HillBilly's!" wake up America!

Or you could have voted by mail without an ID.

Absentee Ballots

Kentucky registered voters may vote at the precinct on election day or, if eligible, may cast an absentee ballot by mail or in the county clerk’s office prior to election day. Kentucky law does not provide for early voting or unexcused absentee voting.

Absentee ballots can only be obtained by contacting the County Clerk’s office.

MAIL-IN ABSENTEE BALLOTS

Q: Who is qualified to vote an absentee ballot?

A: To be qualified to vote by mail-in absentee ballot, you must be:

§ Advanced in age, Disabled, or Ill;

§ Military personnel, their Dependents, or Overseas Citizens (For more information please review the Military and Overseas Citizen Page found on this web site);

§ A student who temporarily resides outside the county;

§ A voter who temporarily resides outside of Kentucky and who maintains eligibility to vote in Kentucky, such as a vacationer;

§ Incarcerated, but not yet convicted of a crime; or

§ Employed outside of the county all hours the polling place is open.

Q: How do I request an absentee ballot?

A: You or your spouse, parents, or children may contact your County Clerk to request an absentee ballot application by phone, fax, electronic mail, mail, or in person. The County Clerk will mail you the absentee ballot application or you can get an application in person at the County Clerk’s office. You can either return the completed application by mail or you can hand-deliver it to the County Clerk’s office. Your spouse, parents, or children, or a third party can not hand deliver your completed application to the county clerk.

Q: When can I apply for an absentee ballot?

A: You can request an absentee ballot any time before an election if you know you are eligible to vote absentee. The County Clerk will send you a mail-in absentee ballot within 3 days of the state ballot printing deadline, which is 50 days before the election.

Q: What is the last day I can apply for an absentee ballot?

A: The deadline for applying for a mail-in absentee ballot is 7 days before an election. The completed application must be received by the County Clerk by mail or in person by the 7-day deadline. The absentee ballot must be received in the County Clerk’s office by 6 PM local time on election day for the ballot to be counted.

Q: What if I did not receive my mail-in absentee ballot?

A: If you applied for an absentee ballot and, after a reasonable time, have not received your mail-in ballot, you must contact the County Clerk and ask for a second ballot. The County Board of Elections will only count the first properly returned voted ballot.

Q: What if I find out that I will be in the county on election day and want to vote at my precinct?

A: Any person who has received a mail-in absentee ballot and discovers at least 7 days before the date of the election that he or she will be in the county on election day, and who has not voted the ballot, must cancel his or her ballot by returning it unvoted to the County Clerk’s office. There are no provisions in state law for returning an unvoted ballot less than 7 days before an election or on election day.

Q: What if I need help filling out my ballot?

A: A voter may have assistance because of blindness, physical disability, or the inability to read English. Any person of the voter’s choice may assist the voter, except the voter’s employer or agent of the employer or an officer or agent of the voter’s union. The person assisting the voter must complete the portion of the voter assistance form on the absentee ballot inner envelope provided by the County Clerk. The person assisting the voter must make an oath declaring that the assistor marked the ballot under the directions of the voter requiring assistance.

MEDICAL EMERGENCY PAPER BALLOTS

You can apply for a medical emergency absentee ballot if a medical emergency occurs within 14 days before an election. The spouse of the voter can also apply for a paper absentee ballot.

The voter, voter’s spouse, parent or child or, if none exist, then a brother, sister, niece, nephew or designee of the voter may make the request for a medical emergency application for an absentee ballot. The absentee ballot can be hand-delivered to the voter and this may be done on election day.

VOTING MACHINE ABSENTEE BALLOTS

A voting machine at the County Clerk's office is available 12 (or more) working days before the election for those voters who are qualified to vote by absentee ballot in the County Clerk's office. Contact your County Clerk to find out the hours and dates of absentee voting in your county.

You must fulfill one of the following criteria to be eligible:
•You will be out of the county on election day
•You are Military, their Dependents, or an Overseas Citizen (For more information, please review the Military and Overseas Citizen Page found on this web site.)
•You are Military personnel confined to base and learn of your confinement within seven days or less of an election
•You are a Student or resident who temporarily reside outside of the county
•You are a voter or the spouse of a voter who has surgery scheduled that will require hospitalization on Election Day
•You are a pregnant woman in your third trimester

OR

You are the following:

o Precinct election officer appointed to serve in precinct other than his own

o Alternate precinct officer

o County Board of Elections’ members

o County Board of Elections’ staff

o Deputy county clerk

o State Board of Elections’ staff

President/Vice President Election

If you change your place of residence to a different state while the registration books are closed in the new state, you can apply for a mail-in absentee ballot or vote on the absentee voting machine only in President/Vice President elections.

Last Updated 7/29/2010

Copyright © 2011 Commonwealth of Kentucky
All rights reserved.

http://www.elect.ky.gov/registrationinf ... ballot.htm

I have had to vote by mail by absentee when i was out of state for military,but had to show proof of orders.Mom votes by mail because she is disabled,but had to show proof by DR.note.

Originally Posted by JohnDoe2

Voters would have to show photo identification -- a driver's license, state-issued personal ID card, military ID, U.S. passport, citizenship certificate, or concealed handgun license -- before casting a ballot if the bill becomes law.

I can't remember the last time I did not have to show a ID when voting in Texas. Anyway, my wife and I always show our concealed handgun license.